Card Captor Legacy
by Vicks111
Summary: In the future, the card mistress made sure her legacy would not fall into the wrong hands, but not even she could predict who would be the one to open the seal. Her family has guarded the book, but the time for a new card master has come. Are they ready?
1. The Remaining Legacy

**Disclaimer: Most of these characters are property of CLAMP. Original characters are mine and the story.**

_Long Summary: The world is a different place, and magic has slowly resurfaced from the unknown. Of course, not everyone has magic, and only those with the gift are taught how to use it. The biggest school of magic in the Eastern World houses the forgotten book of cards, that the Li Clan thinks they guard. What will happen when they foresee the seal will be broken and a time for a new Card Master is upon them?  
A boy will learn more about magic than he wanted to learn, and he will remember more than he wanted to remember. The Guardian Beast of the Seal is not sure of the chosen one and the Judge has an old grudge to settle._

_Ok, I am not good with summaries, but I can't tell more without giving it away._

_A small note: I know original characters are not everyone´s cup of tea. Heck, Im not really fond of them either on a fanfiction, but I cant really revive the whole cast since chapter 1, can I? They are here, OCs, but they are supporting cast. So, if you could bear with them, maybe you´ll find the story to your liking. Thanks for reading!_

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_**Card Captor Legacy**_

**_By Vicks111_**

**Volume I: Himitsu **

_Chapter 1: The Remaining Legacy_

It was a rainy day on the city of Tokyo. Odd for a spring day, said some, others thought it a bad omen. Especially when there hadn't been any reports of rains announced. In a school somewhere in the city, life went about normal; students arrived with umbrellas while others were left at the main entrance by expensive cars. At the main building, in the principal's office, a tall chestnut brown-haired man looked at the arriving students with a worried frown.

"It's time for the seal to be broken" a dark-haired woman stood at the door.

"I disagree; it's too soon" he said, not looking back, "do you know who will open it?" he asked hesitantly.

"No, that's hard to see in this school; anyone could open it. Everyone is a potential candidate." She said approaching the man, and hugging him from behind.

"Makes me wonder why she left them here" he said, lying back to the embrace.

"You know that better than me. I am just telling you what I have foreseen."

"Then there's only one thing left to do. I have to prepare for the inevitable" he said as he left her gazing outside the window.

"And I have to call someone in China." She said, as he left her. She took the phone on the desk and called.

"Hello, this is the Li household. Who is it calling?" a female voice answered on the other end.

"I am calling from the Tsukimine High School in Japan. I need to speak with the head clan" the woman said on fluent chinese.

"The Lady isn't here right now; but you can speak freely with me, I am her daughter and the heir of the clan"

"Li Sun Rei, if I am not mistaken."

"Yes; but leaving all formalities aside, I assume you have more important things to say."

"You are right, I am in a hurry. Would you tell the Lady that the time for the heir of the Li clan to assist the school of magical arts has come? Everything will be ready for you, and she will know what I mean."

"Excuse me? Is this some kind of joke?"

"Don't worry, everything will be explained in due time; until you come to Japan, then."

And the line went dead. In the Cherry Tower, as it was called by many students, the man approached the altar that stood beside the ceremonial fireplace, and taking out an old key he recited:

"Key that hides the power of the sun, reveal your true form to me, I command thee under our contract! Release!"

A gush of magic came forth from the key as it transformed into a golden staff, tall as the owner who commanded it. The top had a sun with wave-like rays with a small ten-pointed silver star at the base of it on one side and a silver crescent moon the other side.

"Seal that binds the magic of ages, open to the one that has guarded you, reveal your true nature before me" he said, as a green magic circle appeared at his feet with the same sun at the center, with a star on the east and a crescent moon on the west. The altar then parted in half, revealing a smaller altar that held a pink leather book that read 'The Sakura'. Grabbing it, he felt with the tip of his fingers the texture of the book, tracing the outline of the golden lion on the top.

"Hello, Cerberus, it has been such a long time; I hope this time around you aren't asleep on the watch". Turning the book around he stared at the familiar magic circle and the winged crescent moon that harbored a five-pointed star in its center and sighed. "Yue-sama, everything will be very different this time around. I don't think neither you nor I are ready for it. But it will come to happen, and I hope you won't hate me for it."

He placed the book back on the small altar, raising his staff up in the air, he recited the final spell.

_Break the Seal_

_That holds the judge inside the book_

_Guardian of the cards_

_Born of the Moon and supported by the stars _

_Come forth and prepare for your duty_

_The time has come to pass_

_Release!_

The green magic that came forth the staff merged with the pink magic that was coming out of the book, and became a pale white color as it united in a white circle above the altar. The swirling magic started forming the being that was inside and the book lowered itself back to the altar. Lowering the staff to the altar, the man commanded it to close again. Returning the staff to key, he waited for the guardian that was sealed to finish its formation. After a few minutes, the magic cocoon descended until it hit the ground. The wings opened up and the moon guardian fell completely to the ground, unconscious.

"I wonder if it was better for you to be unconscious than to see me," He said as he kneeled upon the guardian. He was just as he remembered him.

"I shall leave you, Yue-sama, it's in your best interests that I am not here when you wake up, and that way I won't know what your false form will look like this time around. I am not supposed to intervene. You know you what to do." He said softly and kissed the guardian's forehead. Standing up he headed back to his office, not before closing the entrance to the tower behind him.

The warning bell sounded; only five minutes for the start of the new school year. A young dark-brown haired boy entered the school running as fast as he could. He had bright hazel eyes that contrasted with his dark unruly hair.

"Dammit I am late!" he yelled to the man that guarded the outside gates, as he was closing them. Letting him enter before he closed, the man turned to the running boy that was close to the main entrance.

"Kinomoto-san mind your language!" he yelled at the boy.

"Sorry, but it's true!" was the only reply the man got from the boy as he rushed inside.

"That boy is lucky he is the principal's son" the man muttered as the gates were closed.

Once inside, the boy entered to the Mirror building. He rushed to the second floor, looking for the right classroom. Of course, it wouldn't have been a problem if the school didn't have that obnoxious tradition of changing the homeroom classes each year. He finally reached the room 10-1 at the end of the hall.

He quickly got in, a sighing in relief as the teacher had not yet arrived. He leaned over the closed door to catch his breath. He didn't realize, however, when the teacher opened the door behind him, and he fell to the ground. Everyone in the class turned around and laughed at the boy. He quickly stood up, apologized to the sensei, and headed to his chair, muttering curse words to some of the obnoxious class mates that laughed at him. As always his best friend had saved him a seat.

"Ohayou, Touya" the friendly girl greeted him as he sat down heavily.

"Ohayou, Mina" he replied, glad that she was assigned to the same class as he was. Tanaka Minako had been his best friend since the second grade. She was a tall girl, almost as tall as him, with long wavy red hair and navy blue eyes. They were inseparable and people often mistook them as a couple. But Touya couldn't think of his best friend in the whole world in that way, and he was sure she didn't think of him in that way either.

"Well, good morning students, it's good to see you all again" the sensei greeted, as all the students who were still standing sat.

"Introductions are in order for those of you who are new this year. This is the Tsukimine High School, one of the most highly respectable schools in the country. Also, known to most of you and your relatives, the school is referred as the Tsukimine School of Magical Arts and Seers, the only school for the magical arts in this side of the world. The school is owned by the Kinomoto Clan of Japan, and has stood in these grounds ever since it was created, merely 233 years ago. You have all been accepted because of your rising magical abilities. Besides the normal courses from high school, you will also be taking divination, evocations, among other mystical arts. Each of you has a different ability and those abilities will all determine the classes you take. I'll be handing the schedules to you in this hour. You will be divided by in two groups: Seers and Conjurers. If you don't know to which group you belong, don't worry, the schedule will state it. After this hour you are expected to show up to the next assigned magical class", she finished the speech and started calling out the students.

"Are there any new students in the class that she gave the long speech?" Touya asked his friend while taking out the latest book he had started reading.

"Some guys from normal schools, whose parents paid a lot to get them in here, and who probably don't have any magical relations to base their status. My guess, spoiled brats who have decided that magic is their calling." Minako replied coolly.

"Still they must have some skill if they are here…" the boy said, looking for the bookmark he had left in the book.

"Even so, they will probably start with basic courses, meaning they won't really learn much of actual magic…Wannabes." She said annoyed and Touya grinned as she did. When it came to magic, she was probably the most serious student on campus. Most people thought it was vanity, but Touya knew better. It was pressure; the pressure to be the best, that her family taught her being the only daughter of the Tanaka lineage. Something Touya knew a thing or two about.

"Tanaka Minako" the sensei called forth. Minako went to get her schedule and Touya kept on reading the ancient book. He was enthralled by it; he would have to show it later to Mina. After a while, though, Touya noticed his best friend hadn't come back to sit, which only meant one thing: trouble.

"Kinomoto Touya" the sensei called and he headed to the teacher's desk. Mina was still standing arguing with the teacher as Touya approached.

"This is utterly wrong! I got the grades last year to take the advanced courses this year. This is unacceptable!" Mina almost yelled at the sensei in her frustration. The sensei just listened as she handed Touya his schedule, and called forth the next student.

"How did you do?" Mina asked eying Touya's schedule.

"The same as you, I am taking normal classes this year too," Touya said, actually relieved he wouldn't have to take those classes until next year.

"The school board has decided that instead of rushing the students into advanced classes, they would extend the current syllabus and make the courses more specific. It also helps as reinforcement to those who aren't doing very well." The sensei explained as a boy took his schedule from her. "But don't worry Tanaka-san, many teachers will be doing special lectures throughout the year for more in-depth knowledge for those interested."

"Hai, thanks sensei" she said as they both walked back to their chairs.

"We have Prescience IV together at 2:00 pm, and Divination II at 3:00pm" Mina said sitting down.

"Hai, but I have Incantations III at 10 AM, and Conjurations II at 11 AM." He said while considering his schedule, "Anyways, it's not like we have ever taken those classes together."

She grinned at his observation. He made it every first day of school since they started high school. "I was hoping they would let us take Incantations' and Divinations' third course this year, but noooo they had to go and change the policies. I can't believe I am stuck with their second courses."

The bell rang, and the teacher left. All of the classes were received at homeroom, with the exception of those who had to be taken in the big halls, namely the magical ones. Before the math teacher arrived, however, a man entered the class room and everybody sat down immediately. He was a tall man, with chestnut-brown hair, and emerald colored eyes that hid behind glasses. His hair was short, but unruly and he wore a black suit complimented by a golden tie.

"Ohayou" he saluted the students, who immediately replied, "Ohayou, Kinomoto-sensei"

"Took your dad long enough" Mina whispered to Touya, who quickly hid the book he had been reading in his backpack. The man stared at his son and his friend and smiled.

"Hello everyone, I am the principal, Kinomoto Ren for those of you who don't know me. I am glad to see most of you back in our school and to see new faces this year. This year, we have a new library wing open, and we have added archery to the sport choices for your extra-curricular activities. We also have a new student housing building in campus; you may want to check that out." He said pausing, while the students commented to each other on the new features. "The Ceremonial Tower will be closed until the Nadeshiko Festival; no one is allowed entrance. Those who disobey will be expelled" he said, adding emphasis on the word will.

Of course, everyone went dead silent at the exclamation of the last command. A chill went down Touya's back and he looked outside towards the Cherry Tower; Mina seemed to notice it. At that moment the math teacher entered the homeroom, and broke the silence.

"Ohayou, Kinomoto-sensei" he said saluting the principal, "I assume you are finishing with the New Year speech, just by looking at their faces"

"A good speech must cut to the heart of the matter and sound heartfully, while inspiring fear at the same time, Midori-san," the principal said as the teacher laid his books on the desk and grinned at the students. "No need to scare them before going into algebraics, that's just mean Ren-san"

"But that's our job, isn't it?" the principal said with an evil grin as Midori laughed at the man's antics. "Well everyone, I hope this will be a great year for all of you, I know it will be very interesting." Ren said before leaving the classroom.

"That was …weird." Mina whispered to Touya who kept staring at the tower.

"I have to go there" he said to her, with resolution. "I know there's something there I have to see"

"You shouldn't," she said, and he turned back instantly, "I have a bad feeling about that; besides, he was deadly serious, he could expel you."

"I have to trust my instincts Mina, and they are telling me I have to go"

"And what about my instincts? If you go there, I have a feeling something will happen to you."

"Then come with me after school." He offered, but she refused, "Unlike you, I cannot argue my way out of expulsion"

"Coward" he muttered as the teacher glared at them to keep quiet.

At the same time, a certain guardian regained consciousness in the top of a tower. He rubbed his head as he looked at his surroundings: the altar he knew very well and the big fireplace used for prayers he had helped to build. He remembered then why he was out, and he couldn't help but feel melancholic. Another master, another lifetime to suffer, another love to forget; but at least this time around he knew better. After all, the devil knows more because he's old rather than the devil.

He knew very well he had to change into a false form before somebody noticed his strange aura, or worse, somebody saw an angel in the ceremonial tower. Calling forth his magic, he was about to change when a woman called to him.

"Hello Yue"

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_A/N: Soooo...I bet you got an idea of who the next card captor will be XD I will explain the magic courses in other chapters, and if anyone got confused somewhere, please let me know. I'll try to make it with suspense._


	2. The Mistake

**Disclaimer: Most of these characters are property of CLAMP. Original characters are mine and the story.**

_Greetings! This chapter is longer than the first one. It took me a while to write it since, I had to draw a map of the campus because I was getting confused with directions. Also, I'll give a small explanation of the classes here, since the long explanations are a few chapters away. Prescience teaches foresight, divination teaches how to read the immediate future with different means; these two classes define who are seers. Conjurations encompasses evocation, which is calling magic forth, and incantations is teaches invocation which is calling magic within._

_Also, they are divided each in six courses, one per year of high school. However, most students don't finish all the courses by the end of high school. So courses five and six are usually filled with ex-alumni who want to finish them after high school. That's the reason the magic courses have another building._

_Made some small changes on chapter one; nothing major, just changed some typos._

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**_Card Captor Legacy_ **

_**By Vicks111**_

**Volume I: Himitsu**

_Chapter 2: The Mistake_

The morning went by rather quickly, and soon it was noon. Touya was done with Conjurations and stopped by the entrance of the Magics building, waiting for Mina to come out of her Incantations class. Five minutes later, the girl came out, chatting quite lively with some girls that he didn't quite recognize. Seeing him waiting for her, Mina said goodbye to her friends and approached him. He was still reading that old book she saw in the morning.

"That looks like quite a book," she said trying to surprise him; hopefully he was too engrossed in the book to notice her aura. He closed the book and answered, "It's really old, I found it in otou-san's study, and he doesn't know I am reading it."

"You are no fun at all! Why won't you let me sneak up on you?" Mina asked, not knowing why he wouldn't indulge her small pleasure. "I don't like it, old habits die hard" he said, but he couldn't remember when he got that particular habit. He shrugged the thought off, and they both started walking towards the cafeteria. Everyone around was excited about the first day of school: some were gathered around the new student building in the back of the school, some were standing in front of the ceremonial tower, gossiping about the reasons the school had to close it off and inventing ghost stories to pass the time. As they approached the cafeteria, Touya saw something very odd in the corner of his eye. He turned around to see his sister sitting under an old oak tree, chatting very lively with a young boy he had never seen before; he was tall, had a slim but well-built body, smooth blond hair that reached up to his shoulders, and pale blue eyes. The scene itself was what struck him the most: his sister was sitting very close to the boy in question, and they seemed like they were going to kiss any second now.

"Mina, who the hell is that guy that is sitting so close to Sakura?" he asked getting ready to burst their bubble any moment now. She followed his gaze to the oak tree, and giggled at the sight. He turned around, dead serious to glare at her, but she didn't mind him.

"That boy is Kanatsuki Akihiko; he has been your sister's best friend since last year. You probably didn't notice him because last year she was dating Terada-kun." She said as she entered the cafeteria. Touya followed her grumpily; the rain was starting again, so he figured they would be soon getting shelter from the falling water. "You would think I would remember him" he replied as they sat down on the bench of a nearby table.

"You don't notice your sister's friends until they are right in front of her nose" she said teasing him, "besides you are awful connecting names with faces" she ended her statement as he grunted disapprovingly.

"Still," he continued to argue, "his aura is very peculiar; it makes me nervous."

She looked at him, puzzled, "nervous…what do you mean?"

At that moment, Sakura jumped from behind him saying, "Hey gaki!"

Mina watched as Touya jumped at the exclamation, hit his legs with the table as he stood, and fell backwards, as Sakura moved away from the path of her brother's descent. She leaned over him and said, "Poor gaki, he is not smooth at all."

"Dammit kaijuu, don't call me that!" he said as he rubbed the back of his head, reducing the pain with the friction of his hand. The slim boy who had been seen talking to his sister in a very dangerous position to his health before, speaked up, "That was mean of you, Sakura-chan; Is this your little brother?" he said, offering a hand to the young boy still lying on the floor. For a moment there, Touya felt a déjà vu as he saw the strange boy.

"Hai, this is the gaki, Touya. Gaki, this is my best friend, Kanatsuki Akihiko." Sakura said introducing them. Akihiko frowned slightly and looked up to Sakura, but she didn't notice him, or at least she pretended not to. Touya stood, finally, and just stared at the man in question as he turned his look back from Sakura. The frown had disappeared from his face, as if he had never changed his smile.

"Nice to meet you, little one" he said offering his hand for a friendly shake. Touya, however, refused the hand shake and crossed his arms and glared at the young man saying, "Who are you calling little one?"

Certainly, there wasn't much of a difference in the height between the two; Touya was some centimeters shorter, and the man's slim complexion made him look taller than he really was. The man was amused by the boy's antics, and asked, "Are you older than me? I am as old as your sister." Touya looked at his sister and grunted, she was 18 and he had just turned 16. The man took the boy's grunt as a no, and continued, "If you are not older than me, then I can call you little one."

'Who does he think he is, anyway' Touya thought as he saw his sister sitting down on the bench he had been sitting. Not coming up with a good reply, he gave up and decided to sit next to her. However, the young man beat him to it, and was already sitting with Sakura by the time he turned around. "Hey! I was sitting there!"

"_Was_ being the key word there," Sakura replied teasing him, and started talking to Minako, who was right sitting in front of her, "Minako-chan this is my friend Akihiko, Akihiko-kun this is my brother's best friend Tanaka Minako" The both exchanged a pleasant hand shake as Touya sat down next to Mina.

"So, tell me Sakura-chan, how do you sneak up on him like that? I just have to know!" Mina asked, relishing on an oportunity to tease Touya, "Well, Minako-chan I masked my aura. You will learn that once you take Prescience V"

"I can't wait for a year to learn it, why don't you teach me?"

"Because you won't understand it anyway; you need to know a lot to pull that off. There's a reason they teach it until the fifth course."

"bah!" Mina exclaimed, she was getting frustrated, so she changed the subject, "Can you believe they wouldn't let me take the advanced courses this year? I am stuck with the second courses of Conjurations and Divination. I'll never finish those courses completely before graduation."

"I know, I heard the decision of the school board. Fortunately, they had already given us seniors our schedules before the end of last year, so those of us who passed the last test get to take the final courses this year." Sakura replied as she grabbed the schedule from her backpack.

Taking the schedule, Mina squealed with delight upon reading, "You are taking all the final courses! You are so lucky Sakura-chan. No senior has gotten to take all those courses before graduation in a very long time. "

Touya shifted uncomfortably next to Mina. The last seniors who had taken those courses had been both his parents. Now Sakura had advanced enough to take them. And by the looks of it, he was going to be the only one in his family not to take them. "Actually, Akihiko-kun is also taking those courses. We will be the only two seniors in that class." The brunette hugged his friend by the waist as she said that.

Touya watched the gesture his sister had, and taking his backpack abruptly, he stood, "I'm going now" he said, glaring at his sister and her companion. Mina quickly gave back the schedule she had been reading, and as Touya walked away, apologized for his behavior and followed him.

The young man who had been silent all this time, then asked, "Is he always like that?"

"No, but I wouldn't worry about it. I didn't think you would rub him the wrong way, though." The young woman said as she saw her brother exit the building. "It's okay Sakura, I don't mind…" Akihiko said, a cool expression on his face, but with a dissapointed tone of voice.

"No it's not okay. That was rude, even for him." she said, finishing the discussion.

Outside, the boy with the hazel eyes walked quickly, as he clenched his fist involuntarily. His friend ran after him, wondering why the sudden outburst. Soon they were already entering the Mirror Building, and Touya seemed to walk without any direction whatsoever.

Finally catching up to him, Mina grabbed the boy by the shoulders and turned him around to face her, "What was that about?"

He couldn't look at her straightly, "They are not right together. I don't care how comfortable they act, or how friendly they seem. He is not right for her, and she is not right for him; they are just wrong." Mina frowned as she thought on the words that he had spoken, "That doesn't make sense, Touya."

He gathered the strength to look at her directly, "You know what I mean! If I could see it, then I am sure you saw it too. Don't tell me you don't." She took his hand, and started walking towards their homeroom, "Let them be, Touya. Just let them be."

They reached the classroom as the bell rang, announcing the beginning of the next block of classes. Needless to say, Touya couldn't concentrate all afternoon, just thinking about the two of them. 'It would be easier if I could tell why they seem so wrong together' he kept thinking, as the remaining classes of the day were over.

Finally, Divination class was over, and so was the school day. He remembered he had to show up to the soccer meeting, as the coach was going to post this year's lineup, and he was hoping that this year he would be made captain. Mina kept talking to him, even if he wasn't paying attention.

"Your mom is amazing! Nobody, do you hear me, nobody teaches Prescience like her. If only the Divinations teacher was like her…" she wished as they unconsciously stopped at the front of the ceremonial tower. The tower stood proudly three stories high, but it was very simple in design. The door itself was all cherry wood; it had lavish carvings of stars all over it, a big ten-pointed star in the center, a sun as big as the star, with waved rays on the east side, and a winged crescent moon on the west side. At the foot of the door, in the center, a representation of the earth was carved, but unlike the door and the rest of the carvings, this one was carved in ebony wood, that stood out from the rest of the door. As for the tower itself, there was nothing else remarkable on the outside.

"Don't blame the teacher for your lack of divination skills. The poor guy has to deal with many brick heads like you as it is." He said with an overconfident grin on his face. He was not the best at divination either, that was why he was still taking the second course, but there were very few moments to tease her as it were, and he had to take advantage of them all.

She couldn't come up with a quick reply, so she admitted defeat, "Whatever…what are you doing later?" He thought about it, pausing for a second to consider his answer, "Well, right now I am heading over to the soccer field, the coach will be handing out the positions. Then I have to flaunt my new captain position in front of the seniors who won't make the cut, and then I'll come and check out the tower. "

"I thought you had forgotten about that already. How do you possibly think you will sneak up inside? Your father must have sealed the entrance by now" she said, considering what kind of magical barrier was placed upon the heavy door.

"Why would he seal the door? He knows the students won't try to enter it, for fear of such a barrier, and the teachers could probably open it anyway. No, he just locked it the old fashioned way. He is the only one who has a key."

Mina looked at her friend skeptically, "You mean your father, the principal who promised expulsion from the school for trespassing, only locked it with a key? I don't buy it."

The overconfident grin was still present on his face, "Not only that, but I bet to you I know where that key is sitting right now in his office."

"Look, whatever you do, be careful. I still think you shouldn't go in, but who am I to tell you what you should do." She said angrily, walking away towards the school gate. "Oh, come on Mina-chan don't be over-dramatic" he said, but she turned north, heading back to her home.

Sighing, he headed to the soccer field. The meeting took longer than he expected, but finally, the coach announced him as the captain, and the meeting was adjourned. He looked at his watch, it was already 5:00 pm, and campus was most likely empty by now, except for the student housing buildings, but those were at the back.

Approaching the administrative building, he couldn't sense his father's aura in the nearby facility, 'he is probably out of the school' he thought as he entered the edifice. Walking past the teacher's lounge, he headed to the second floor, to his father's office. The secretary let him enter, telling him that his father was away, but he would be returning any minute now, so he could just wait. Upon hearing this, he invented that he was just going to enter to look for a book, and that he wouldn't be staying. Once the woman closed the door, he placed his book bag on the floor and started walking around the place. In the north wall, three different book shelves were piled with ancient books; on the south side, the ancient cherry wood desk, it was one of the few traditions that the school still kept. That desk was as old as the school itself. Upon the wall, laid the family portrait his dad had ordered when he became the school's principal. That had been some 10 years ago, when his grandfather had passed away. It had been really hard to pose happily for the portrait, but he was glad they did. The old portrait that had been in that office prior to his father's arrival had been moved to the library.

He approached the window that was on the west side of the room. He always thought that window should have been in the east wall, to let the sunshine in. As it was, the office was very dark if it was not lightened up by a lamp. But that never seemed to bother his father, he said he liked it the way it was. From the window, a majestic view of the old tower could be appreciated, although he had never seen a reason for it; why would anyone like a nice view of an old tower?

'Maybe there's a purpose' he thought and a chill went down his spine, but he dismissed it.

"Focus, otou-san will arrive any minute now" he said to himself as he looked around the room. The key had been used lately, so its usual hiding place in the bookshelf was ruled out; He wouldn't just leave it in the desk either, but he was sure his father was not carrying it. He was about to give up, and walk away from his quest when he saw the small key holder that was nailed next to the door. "He wouldn't leave it there...that would be unwise, to say the least," he said grabbing his bag and approaching the door.

Certainly, the key was not hanging with the rest of the keys, and the small hope he had vanished. But then a thought came to his mind. The key holder was a carved lotus flower, made out of bronze, but it was hollow on the inside. Lifting the flower, the small key that had been hiding under it fell to the ground.

Smiling with satisfaction, he took the key and headed out of the building. He walked to the tower, and looking around if no one was near, he slipped the key into the door. The wood creaked as he slowly opened the door and entered.

The tower was as simple on the inside as it was on the outside; the main attraction was at the top. Climbing the stairs, that feeling he had in the morning came back to him. He felt as if he was expected, and all those small fears that silly Mina had put into his head were gone. Reaching the top, he held onto his breath as he opened the door that lead to the small plaza.

Nothing was out of the ordinary; everything was just as he had remembered, as it always was. His dad had been very adamant about this, but there was nothing wrong in the place. The tower was always open to the students during the school year, and many were expecting to come here on the first day of classes. But that wasn't reason enough. There must be something wrong in it.

"Well, as long as I am here, I might as well stay a while" he said to himself as he approached the ceremonial fireplace. Many came to pray here, especially on festivals when it would be lit. It was the main attraction of the tower, and it stood on the east side of the place. But on the west side, a small altar stood proudly next to the fireplace. As everything in the school, both structures were dedicated to a celestial being; the fireplace was dedicated to the sun, whilst the altar was dedicated to the moon.

He loved that altar; he would often come to pray there, rather than the fireplace. It was a more personal experience to pray there, he often thought, than to pray with everyone else on the fireplace. He kneeled in the altar and closed his eyes, clearing his mind, and prayed.

_To the gods above_

_I raise this prayer_

_For a new year_

_And for an old cause_

_To be stronger_

_To be better_

Suddenly, that small altar moved apart, opening in half. Touya jumped back in surprise and fell to the ground. Once the altar stopped moving, he approached it. A smaller pedestal laid there, and on top of it a pink leather book. But the thing that struck him the most was the name of the book.

Outside, a man entered the administrative building and headed to his office. He was tired and he just had to get home. But he still had to leave some books in his office. As he reached the room, his secretary saluted him.

"Konnichiwa Kinomoto-sama, the parent-teacher conference has been scheduled due in three weeks. The teachers were also announced of the date."

"Thanks Akane-san. Are there any other messages? I was expecting a call."

"No one called, but Touya-san came by a while ago to leave a book." She said picking up her purse.

"Touya came by? That's odd." He said, as he opened the door to the office, "I'll see you tomorrow Akane-san"

Entering the office, he left the books he came to return, and took out his briefcase. He looked out the window, it was a small habit he had whenever he left the office, but what he saw outside made him stop altogether. Someone was inside the tower, and as he looked closer, he saw a boy inside. A boy he knew very well. "Oh no" he muttered, as he ran outside.

"The Sakura?" not only was an odd name for a book, but it had lots of intricate golden designs that stood out of the pink dyed leather. He tried opening the book, but the lock wouldn't let him. He tried again, this time focusing his magic on the lock. It opened, but the inside was hollow and had strange cards that seemed warm to the touch.

Taking the card on the top, he looked at the design on the back, 'It resembles my family's magic circle' he thought as he turned the card again. A winged woman with long hair was drawn on the center; a crescent moon laid on the right of the image, and a sun laid on the left. On the bottom, a star sat above a banner with the name of the card.

"The Windy" he said to himself, but a magic circle appeared at his feet. Magic gushed around him, as the cards flew out of the book. Suddenly the door behind him flew open and he heard someone shout, "Close it now!"

Gathering his strength, he closed the book and fell to the ground. Someone approached him and helped him stand back up.

He turned around and gasped, as he saw his father with a worried frown on his face. They stood there looking at each other, not saying a word. The silence didn't last long, as the book levitated in front of the boy, and glowed, as a small creature came out the front of the book. The man took the levitating book in his hands as the creature opened his beady eyes.

"Konnichiwa" he saluted, "I am Keroberos, Guardian Beast of the Seal"

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_A/N: The scene of the opening of the book isn't really detailed, I know. As for the characters, Sakura is getting revenge from Touya this time around she is older, and having real fun. The characterization of both of them is somewhat different from the original, but remember that they aren't really the same, they are reincarnated and this time around both their parents are alive. That doesn't mean that I'll be drastically changing them; it just means that Touya talks more, is not as closed, and Sakura is more outgoing. As for the map of campus, if someone is interested or gets confused with my amazing guidance skills, I'll post the link in my author page XD_

_Thanks for reading and remember to review!_


	3. The Li Remnants

**Disclaimer: Most of these characters are property of CLAMP. Original characters are mine and the story.**

_Greetings! Welcome to the third chapter of CCL! It took me a while to update this, I wasn't planning on not having Inet over easter. Hopefully I will be able to make one update per week for my two stories. Made some slight changes on chapter 2; I had forgotten that this Touya reincarnation had hazel eyes instead of sapphire blue eyes. Considering that Touya's hair in both CCS and TRC manga is black and not brown, like in the CCS anime, Kero makes a distinction between the old Touya and the new one._

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**  
_ Card Captor Legacy_**

_**By Vicks111**_

**Volume I: Himitsu****  
**

_Chapter 3: The Li Remnants  
_

He took a moment to look at his surroundings; everything was just as he remembered it. He stared at the two men standing before him. The young one, had dark-brown hair and bright hazel eyes, and his complexion was slightly darker than the older man; the older man had chestnut-brown hair with emerald eyes hidden behind small glasses. They both looked very familiar, somehow. He then saw the older one of the pair, was holding the pink leather book.

"You opened the book..." the small guardian asked, as the man grinned, a shiver went down his spine, "...Hasushiro?"

"No I didn't" the man replied, "And my name is Ren". The small plushie frowned, as he looked at the boy who had been silent all this time. The boy took a step forward and poked the small guardian in the belly.

"Where are the batteries?" he asked incredulously. The guardian beast of the seal couldn't believe that such a boy had managed to open the book.

"He is not a toy, Touya-kun, you should know better" Ren said apprehensively, as the guardian leapt forward in the air and stopped right in front of the boys face, "I knew you were familiar…Your eyes are different oniichan, and the hair is brown rather than black" Keroberos said as he pulled the bangs away from the boys face, "but it's the same face. And you..." the small beast turned to the older man, and flew up to his face, "You are actually exactly the same as before, except for the name..." he frowned"...and the glasses, what's up with that?"

"I may look the same, but you should know Cerberus, this isn't the same body. Although I look rather good for a man who has a 16-year old son, don't you think?" Ren said as he turned around to let the guardian have a better look. Keroberos laughed heartfully at the man's antics and Touya was more confused than ever.

"You two know each other? And why did the plushie call me oniichan?" Touya asked waving his hands to get the other two's attention. They both turned back at him, mirroring each other's actions…it was very creepy, Touya thought. Keroberos noticed that the boy still held the Windy in his hand, "He doesn't…he doesn't…know?" the guardian said, still avoiding speaking with the boy, "but you do…Ren, is it?

"Hai" was the only reply the emerald-eyed man gave. Keroberos was pensive for a while, and Touya was sick of not getting any answers, "What do I have to know?"

"You are holding the Windy…you opened the book" Keroberos said, but the boy had a feeling that that wasn't the answer he was looking for, "Obviously you didn't know about the book, so that's why you opened it. I thought they taught better to kids these days…" he trailed off as he turned his gaze back at Ren.

"Oh no, you are not turning this as my fault; You are the guardian beast of the seal!"

"Then why are you here, Ren?" the stuffed guardian said with finality. Touya had never known anyone, human or not, that could win an argument against his father, except his mother, and she didn't really count. The boy then started connecting the dots, "You" he said pointing at the guardian, "guard the seal of that," he pointed at the book in his father's hands and continued, "and I am guessing that it wasn't supposed to be opened, because it has powerful magic that shouldn't be messed with. This…" he now waved the card in his hand, "magic is stored in cards, and there were lots of them. What I don't understand…" he said, now turning to look at his father, "is why it was sealed in the altar, and why was I able to open it, if it's supposed to be really strong?"

Now both humans turned to the floating guardian, looking for an answer, "It is really strong, but so are you…Touya" Keroberos said as he landed in Ren's shoulder and sat down, crossing his arms, "You wouldn't have been able to open it if you weren't. As for the reason why the book was sealed here, you should ask Ren, he will explain it better than me. Oh, but before we continue…" the guardian glowed and speaked softly as Ren held the book in place.

_Key of the seal_

A small light came out of the book lock and floated in front of the boy, as a familiar magic circle appeared beneath his feet. The base of the circle was the same as his family's one, but in the center it had a star; he had yet to see anyone in his family with star powers.

_There is someone_

_Wishing for a contract with you_

The book glowed now, and magic started swirling around the circle. He looked at his father; he was allowing this to happen, and his face was willing him to continue.

_A boy; his name is Touya_

A goosebump went down his spine as the guardian said those words; it was the second time in one day that he had felt that sense of déjà vu.

_Oh key, grant him the power!_

_Release_

The key that was surrounded by the orb of light then grew until it became a wand; the light then exploded all around them and Touya could barely see from the seering light. He closed his eyes and reached out to grab the staff in mid-air, and the light faded out as he did. The moment his hand touched the staff, a vision appeared before him. A girl, no a woman…that looked exactly like his sister, but wasn't, was holding the exact same staff he was…beside her on her right, a golden lion was standing and she petted his head. He was standing to her left, and turned around to see behind her; a man as tall as her was standing, holding or rather, carrying something in his arms. He had bright amber eyes that hid behind big round glasses and grey hair, which fell to his face sloppily. They were accompanying her, and he knew she was going to cast a spell, since he could feel the energy all around them. Suddenly he recognized that they were standing in the same place were he had been before grabbing the staff. She turned his head, and stared directly into his eyes as she said, "Everything will be…"

"Are you alright, To-ya?" he heard a male voice ask him as the images faded away. He slowly opened his eyes, and tried to focus them on the person who was talking to him. He should have known who it was, but everything was a blur to him at the time. "What did you say?" he asked groggily.

"I asked you if you were alright…you shouldn't scare me like that Touya-kun" the person he now recognized as his father asked again. "That's not what you said…" the boy said, his eyes finally focusing on his father's face. Both the man and the guardian looked at each other puzzled, and the boy continued, "You said…To-ya…not Touya…" He noticed the guardian stifled as he said that name, and his father had a serious look on his face, "I didn't" was the only reply from his father as he stood up. That's when touya realized he was lying down on the floor, still holding the staff with his right hand and the windy card with his left one. He then examined the staff; it was a dark shade of blue, with a silver star in the center of a circle at the top, and with small wings to the sides of it. It would have been a very girly staff if it wasn't blue. He sat and the guardian asked him, "What happened to you? One moment you were grabbing the staff, and then you fall to the ground as if you had no energy at all?"

"I had a vision, but it wasn't a vision of the future, I think," he said looking up to Keroberos and continued, "It seemed like a memory, and I was there, but it wasn't me, and Sakura was there, but she wasn't her either."

"It was not your memory to remember, Touya-kun" Ren said as he extended an arm to help his son stand up. "You must have triggered a spell placed upon the staff for the one who was to wield it."

Keroberos didn't agree with Ren; he glared at the man, who didn't seem to notice him. They would certainly have to talk once they were alone. As the boy stood, though, Keroberos pushed that thought aside, "I guess a cardcaptor has been born. I just hope you are up to the challenge…"

"He will be up to the challenge, unless you were sleeping while guarding the seal again…" Ren teased the sun guardian, as he walked with his son towards the door, "I'll have you know that I certainly was not!" he roared as he flew up to them. They descended the stairs silently, and soon they were outside the tower. Night had settled upon the city, and the school was empty, except for the guards that stood at the gates. Touya held the small guardian and the book in his hands as they headed to the parking lot. They were all so deep in their own thoughts that they didn't feel the familiar purple aura of the girl that was waiting for them. Only until they had reached the car did they noticed, but by then, it was too late to hide Keroberos or the book.

"Konbanwa" the girl saluted as she bowed to Ren, "Kinomoto-sensei, Touya"

"Mina, what are you doing here so late? I saw you leave…" the boy stammered out; the guardian fell limp in the boy's hands, but she was not looking at him. She was interested in the strange book in her friend's hands. She could feel the magic oozing out of it. She ignored her friend and continued talking, "So that book was the reason for breaking in the tower?" he furiously shook his head but she didn't believe him, "Oh please, Touya, do you think I couldn't feel all the magic being exerted in there? I can still feel it from the book."

Ren approached the girl and placed a hand on her shoulders, "Minako-chan, I will have to call your parents, you are not supposed to be on the school grounds until this late." The girl looked up at the tall man and grinned, "Fine, but if you call them, then I would have to tell them why I was here so late. So we can obviate them, and not say anything to anyone"

The plushie raised an eyebrow as the girl giggled, and floated out of Touya's arms. The girl took a step back as he saw him do that, but he quickly introduced himself, "Konbanwa, I am Keroberos, Guardian Beast of the Seal of the Sakura Cards."

"Umm…pleased to meet you?" she asked puzzled. Touya couldn't believe the guardian had just leapt out of his grasp and saluted his friend. Ren only grinned as he opened his car. "Anyone who can black-mail Ren like that is also my friend" the sun guardian said as he extended a small chubby arm to her, and she took it, waving it. Touya was speechless at the sight, and had to be slightly shaken out of the shock.

"Come on, let's go home. We have a long night ahead of us." The emerald-eyed man called from within the car. Minako and Touya entered and she started asking questions as soon as the car took off.

"That book," Ren said, "Has been sealed in this academy for more than 200 years. It was previously owned by an old relative of ours, Li Sakura, as she used her husband's name. She left the book here under a spell in the cherry tower until the day the seal was meant to be broken. We didn't know who would be the one to open it, but we knew that the day was near. I hoped it wouldn't be anyone from my family, though."

Kerberos continued the narration, "She was the sister of the school founder. She thought that it was better to leave the book here, rather than Hong Kong, where she lived."

"Wait a minute." Mina asked, she seemed to remember something, "Li, as in the Li clan from Hong Kong?" The guardian nodded, and she continued, "Why would she leave the book here rather than with the powerful Li Clan?"

"Although they were very influential, she decided that Hong Kong was not the place to keep the book," Ren said as drove, "Hong Kong is filled with magic, most of the time troublesome, always has, always will be." The sun guardian finished the statement.

"But that can't be the whole reason?" The sapphire-eyed girl asked to the plushie. He nodded but didn't elaborate on that question, "Anyways, the book was sealed under the altar at the tower, and then sealed with me. If you ask me, those seals were pretty strong."

Tire-screeching could be heard as Ren halted the car to a stop. They all turned to look at him, "Of course!" he hit his forehead with his hand, remembering what he had done in the morning, "I didn't seal the altar again in the morning, that's why he opened it effortlessly. Oops!" Keroberos flew up to him and hollered, "What do you mean, 'Ooops' you were supposed to be looking after it, and you left the seal broken?"

"It was an honest mistake, Cerberus. Do you think I wanted the seal on the book to be broken?"

"Why did you open the seal anyway…" he asked, as the man grinned, and a cloud passed over the guardian's face, "You did that? I can't believe you did that! You know he is going to kill me when he finds out, and then you go and leave the door wide open to anyone who wants to grab the book! He will never forgive me! The first time around I was asleep, and now I was set-up! I hold you responsible for this!" Minako and Touya were very confused by the bickering of the guardian, and the boy dared to ask, "Who is going to kill you?"

"Yu…" he said, but then thought about it better, "you, the whole lot of you! You careless…" he said pointing at the driving man, "…stupid…" he pointed at Touya, "Kinomotos! Why oh, why must I always have to deal with the stupidity?"

Ren laughed heartfully at the whining guardian, and Touya didn't care much about being called stupid by a plush toy. "First the mistress when she was a cardcaptor and now the oniichan when he becomes one! I swear the next time around…"

"Why are you being so rude to them, Keroberos?" Mina asked, she had never heard anyone talk like that to any Kinomoto ever, "Believe me, when I tell you girl, stupidity is a family trait on the Kinomotos, they like to soften it by saying they are 'dense' but no, they know quite well they are stupid; Specially the men."

"Of course, it's also the Kinomoto men those who can cook in the family, so you should mind your words now, Cerberus" Ren warned him as he the car stopped in front of a big house. Keroberos changed his tone instantly, "but of course you don't count Ren-san, you are part Li. But wait that would make you more 'dense' than the Kinomotos, wouldn't it?"

Touya laughed at the beet-root color his father's cheeks turned to, and asked, "What do you mean he is part Li? Both my grandparents were Japanese" The guardian beast of the seal then sported one of his best grins up to the day and replied, "A Li will always be a Li, whether he reincarnates in Japan or in China. Your father is the reincarnation of the mistress' second child, Kinomoto Hasushiro."

Mina gasped and Touya fell completely silent as the man grabbed the guardian by the neck, choking him with his hands, "You evil guardian, you shall be banned from the pudding-ness of my refrigerator!" he said, as the guardian tried to get away. No one, ever, had made his father lose his temper before. Not even Sakura when she was being obnoxious.

They got out of the car; the sky was still clouded from the previous rains in the day. The house was big compared to the rest of the neighboring houses, it was almost a mansion. Keroberos also knew the house; it was a gift that was made to the mistress' father when he was old. He was glad that the house stood still and he sighed at the beautiful cherry trees that were planted in front of it. The house was dark on the inside, and the outside was only lighted by the street lamp. Two people stood in the front of the gate; a man with brunette hair and bright brown eyes, and a woman with beautiful long raven hair. She had green lime eyes that contrasted strongly against her hair. Minako approached Touya slowly and whispered to him, "Do you know those people?"

Ren, who had regained his composure by then, said, "no, but we were expecting them…" he then approached the two strangers, and saluted them, "Welcome to my home, I am Kinomoto Ren, I believe you are expecting me."

"Hai, we are. This is my sister Li Sun Rei, and my name is Li Syaoran" both of them smiled warmly to each other, as they shook hands. There was a gasp from behind them, and Touya tried to mask it as his own. He definitely needed to teach some manners to this guardian.

"Konbanwa, Kero-chan" the Li boy saluted, as Ren opened the gates of the Kinomoto home. The guardian leapt from the cardcaptor's hands and flew up to the Li boy, "You remember too Syaoran!"

"It's been a long time, Kero. But yes, I do recall everything." He bowed as he saluted the small guardian. "I can't believe you have also reincarnated in this time and with your memories too! You are stronger than you were back then, Gaki"

Touya cringed at the G word, though it seemed to fit the Li person quite well, for a reason he couldn't quite understand. They all stepped inside and Syaoran and Kero continued to talk lively, "I thought I had outgrown the gaki out of me, Kero"

"You did, but now you are a gaki again. That's not my fault. But if you are here, and Ren is here, I wonder if she is here too…" the guardian said that last part in a whisper to Syaoran. The man only whispered back, "I hope she is, that's why I am here…"

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_A/N: Ren is such a fun character to portay! He is very calm and composed, but Kero can get in his nerves so easily! Not only that but he likes to tease. Oh, and the name from the past life IS Kinomoto Hasushiro and not Li Hasushiro...XD_

_Please review! Most of the times, reviews are useful, they give ideas to the authors, and theories are always fun to read!_


	4. The Insurance Clause

**Disclaimer: Most of these characters are property of CLAMP. Original characters are mine and the story.**

_Konnichiwa! This chapter is up before I expected it; normally it takes me more to write them. Anyway, if all goes as planned, cardcaptoring will begin on chapter 6._

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_** Card Captor Legacy**_

**_By Vicks111_**

**Volume I: Himitsu**

_Chapter 4: The Insurance Clause_

Once inside, the group was lead to the living room, as Ren turned on the lights. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I imagine our guests must be tired from their trip from Hong Kong" the professor said as everybody sat down. "Actually we got here a couple of hours ago, we managed to settle our things in a newly rented apartment, a few blocks from the school" Syaoran said as if it was nothing; however, they all stared at him with some shock in their faces.

"You got an apartment in one day in the vicinity of the school? I'm impressed, getting someone to rent out a space in that zone is very difficult, not mentioning expensive" Ren said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them, "I thought you would be using the student housing complexes in campus."

"That was the plan, wasn't it?" Syaoran said, winking at the guardian sitting in Touya's hands, "but you know, convincing a Li to accept some help is very difficult" he now said to the standing man. The man grinned, trying hard not to laugh, as the raven-haired girl spoke for the first time, "Mother was against us living in campus; she said that there was no need nor will for us to do it."

"It's okay Li-chan, I completely understand. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get started on dinner, and I would love if you all could accompany us," Ren said, as Syaoran turned and lifted a hand so to speak, "And I will not take a no for an answer." Turning to Keroberos, he motioned the guardian to approach him, and spoke low to him, "Please explain them what they need to know, but try to keep from overloading them with information; there's plenty of time to explain it all."

"We'll talk later" the guardian ordered the man, as he then yelled, "And you better make an amazing dinner for us, I haven't eaten in centuries!" Ren then turned back to the group, looked at them one last time, and left the room towards the kitchen. Keroberos floated down to the middle of the room, where a small coffee table stood, surrounded by three couches. In one of them, the Li brothers sat peacefully waiting for the guardian to speak. In the other one across them, Touya and Mina sat, one of them nervous and the other one curious. Keroberos turned to look at each of them one last time before speaking.

"First of all, introductions are in order" he said, looking at the hazel-eyed boy. Touya stood quickly, understanding the guardian's request, "Konbanwa, my name is Kinomoto Touya," he said, earning an instant glare from the Li boy, who quickly directed it to Keroberos. The guardian beast of the seal only nodded back. Touya wondered to himself, 'why does everyone keep doing that when they hear my name?'. "My friend here," he continued, "is Tanaka Minako." She waved her hand and saluted, "Pleased to meet you."

This time, the Li girl stood and started the introduction, "Konbanwa Kinomoto-kun, Tanaka-san" she said bowing, "my name is Li Sun Rei, and this is my oniichan, Li Syaoran" she now turned to Syaoran who only nodded, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"And I am," Keroberos said now, pausing dramatically for a good effect, "Keroberos, Guardian Beast of the Seal of the Sakura Cards" he did a somersault as he pronounced his title. "But we already knew that," Sun Rei said low to her brother, but everybody managed to hear her, and nodded. Kero couldn't believe the girl had ruined his presentation with such a simple statement, and coughed, getting everyone's attention.

"As you know, the seal on the cards has been broken; Touya was designated the cardcaptor. However, in accordance to the mistress's wishes, a member of the Li family will also be granted the power and the opportunity to seal the cards. Which one of you will be the other cardcaptor?"

"That would be me" the Li girl said, sitting back down on the couch. Keroberos sighed, annoyed, "and why would that be you? I thought you said Syaoran was your older brother, and if I remember correctly, boys have priority over girls in your family." Syaoran answered the question, somehow bothered by the guardian's attitude, "Traditions have changed a lot since your time, Keroberos, and she is the heir, next clan head. Besides..." he paused, getting Kero's attention, "I am only here for the sights" he grinned with satisfaction as he said the last words.

Kero arched his eyebrow skeptically as Touya questioned him, "Why two cardcaptors? I thought you said it was my responsibility to catch them."

The guardian turned to speak with the Kinomoto boy, "Because the cards are way too powerful for just one cardcaptor. Even the Mistress had trouble capturing them all back in the day, and they were not as strong as they are now. You will need all the help you can get without involving too many people."

"But if they both capture the cards, then who will get them at the end, Keroberos?" Mina wondered, as Sun Rei answered on his behalf, "When all the cards are captured, the cardcaptors will be judged by the other guardian of the cards, Yue." Kero growled as the girls said things he didn't want to say just yet, how was he supposed to do his job correctly if everyone knew all the clauses in the contract before he told them, even the small print?

"Other guardian? There's other guardian?" Touya asked, examining the book. "I wonder how they will be judged," Minako thought out loud, "I wouldn't worry about the judgement, but I would worry about the sentence" and Sun Rei said, as both the other teens looked at her curiously.

"That is enough!" Keroberos yelled, as everyone suddenly stopped talking. Syaoran was trying hard not to laugh at the poor Kero, but was failing miserably, "I am the Guardian Beast of the Seal! I am the appointer and advisor! I explain whatever you need to know when you need to know it," he glared at the Japanese girl, "I decide which questions to answer and those I won't," he now glared at the Chinese girl, and Syaoran smirked at him, "And I am in charge here until one of you twits becomes the card master. Now let me finish my job and if any of you brats speaks before I give you permission," he glared at them one last time, "I swear I will bite you! You can ask the chinese gaki over there, he knows I am being serious!"

By now, everyone in the room was either too ashamed to look up to the guardian, or not interested enough to pay attention, in Syaoran's case, who had already taken out his cellphone and started playing with it. Taking one last breath and counting to ten and backwards, Keroberos began talking again, "Now, as I was saying before being interrupted, there will be two cardcaptors. The two of them will be judged by the other guardian in order to prove who would be capable of being the card master. Before you ask me anymore questions, I have no idea where Yue is, and I will not answer any more questions about him." He paused, expecting a reaction from the obnoxious chinese girl, or from the too-smart-for-her-own-good japanese girl, "Good, then that's settled. I can and will answer any questions concerning the cards and their previous masters."

Three hands were quickly up in the air, asking for permission to speak, filling more the guardian's ego. He decided to start with the smart questions first, "Yes, Tanaka-chan?"

The other two then lowered their hands, one of them growling while the other one lifted her head haughtily.

As for Minako herself, she didn't show acknowledgement of these actions and asked, "Who created the cards?" Kero now sat down in the table where he had been standing and replied, "The cards were created centuries ago by the most powerful magician the eastern and western world had seen, Clow Reed. He is probably unknown nowadays to the average magician, since all the remaining works and studies of his are owned and cared by the Li clan. He was known for his foresight abilities, albeit back then people used to refer to it as fortune-telling. Most of today's magic systems and theories are based in one way or the other in his works and findings. The cards were used to be known as the Clow cards; of those you might have heard a thing or two as a fairytale."

Mina's eyes where huge as he explained her, it was amazing for her to hear something about magic that was not a known fact. Kero turned to Touya and motioned his small hand, allowing him to speak, "How did they become the Sakura cards?"

"The master created guardians to protect the cards for when he would be gone. I guard the seal, and Yue judges the cardcaptors; and we both protect the cards and their master. Clow was powerful enough to know who the next card master would be, and created a bell that would be used for her to have a second chance in the judgement, since he knew she would fail. He sealed us before he died, and fate took us to Sakura. She opened the book when she was only ten years old." Both Minako and Touya gasped, amazed by the fact of the card mistress age.

Although having to explain everything to them, the guardian felt proud of telling them just how powerful and amazing she had been, "She managed to capture the cards," the chinese boy coughed loudly interrupting the narrative, "of course, not without the help of the Li clan heir," he quickly amended and Syaoran nodded gracefully. "He was not a designated cardcaptor, but since he got quite a lot of them, he was also judged as one, failing miserably, I might add," Kero grinned enjoying this small victory against the chinese gaki, as he growled scornfully.

"Since he failed, everyone depended on Sakura to beat the judgement, but she was such a good-natured child, that she couldn't bring herself to beat the Judge, who had become a good friend of hers. When she was about to be beaten though, the bell Clow had left behind gave her a second chance, allowing her to reconsider and win the trial. Once she became the Mistress, she changed the cards under her sign, so they would draw her power from her, making them the Sakura cards."

"She must have been very powerful then, to have changed the cards sign unto hers at such an age." Mina said to Touya who nodded in agreement, "And I thought old grandpa Kinomoto was making up stories to scare us. We never took them seriously..." he said back to her.

"Such an amazing story and historical fact reduced to children's bedtime stories, I should have expected it" Keroberos sighed, now turning to face the Sun Rei, "Ask" was the only thing he said to her. "How does Syaoran factor in this entire tale?" she said, turning to face her brother.

"Trust her to ask the stupid questions..." the guardian muttered under his breath before replying, "I expected that question from the other two, but not from a Li. Anyway," he scratched his head, looking for the right way to answer her question without being too rude with her; Keyword there being _too_. "Okay, let me ask you something first," she nodded, acknowledging his questioning, "You have been taught in your family the timeline of those who have been the clan heads, right?" she nodded again, "Then somewhere along those lines, you might remember the name of a certain clan head that is exactly the same as one of your closest relatives," she was thoughtful for a moment, but quickly knew which name he was referring to and he continued, "Good, now tell me the first rule on naming children of the clan when they are born?"

"Every newborn child of the clan is given a divination to know whether they have been previously born into the clan, and if so they are given the same..." she paused as the realization hit her. Of course, by now both Touya and Minako had guessed it all by the questions the guardian asked, and how they might factor with the Li boy. Keroberos was proud of embarrassing her without being rude at all, and Syaoran who had turned serious when the sun guardian began questioning his little sister, now grinned at the face she sported while she connected all the dots. "You could have told me before!" she yelled, punching him in his right arm, "Trust you to help me make a fool out of myself!"

"You don't need my help with that," he teased her, "besides it was not important". Mina ventured to ask, "If you don't mind me asking, why does your family do that?" The chinese boy thought about whether or not to answer the question, but eventually gave in, "It's an old tradition. They believe it helps the soul to remember its past life if need be, since the records only keep official matters. Of course, they also believe that if the soul remembers, then it must have a reason. Personally, I think that it all depends in the person's powers; if they are strong enough, they will recall their past life, even if it's not necessary."

"Always giving the poetic reasons, right Syaoran?" the guardian taunted, "The real reason is because it's easier to keep a track of them on the family records. Do you know how big and old the Li clan actually is?" Keroberos laughed at the frown on Syaoran's face, and even Sun Rei couldn't help but chuckle.

"How does it feel? To be reincarnated and to remember your past life, that is?" Touya asked after been quiet for a long time. Syaoran showed his surprise for a brief moment, as he saw the guardian shaking his head, telling him something the girls couldn't understand. Touya was so thoughtful, he didn't notice the gesture between them, and Syaoran answered him after a few seconds, "It's actually rather odd; I recall all these memories knowing that they happened to me, and I know from them, whatever I emotion I had when they happened, but I do not remember any actual feelings. It's like if someone who had amnesia is being told of their life before the disease: he knows the facts because they are told to him, and he can decipher the feelings he had, but he feels alien to them, like if they were someone else's memories."

They all were silent, as they reflected on everything that had been said. After a few minutes, though, the Li boy was the one to break the silence, "So now what, Kero? Are you going to make her a cardcaptor or are you waiting for Yue's approval?" he was serious, but his words were not weighed. The guardian then hovered above the table glowing brightly, in a gold hue, as the book floated in front of him glowing, and he said, "Fine" Sun Rei stood, taking a small key from her pocket, it was exactly the same as the one Touya now had hanging around his neck. The book glowed as he recited the spell and the star magic circle appeared under the girl. Once the ritual was finished, and the contract made between the guardian and the new cardcaptor, the seal under her feet disappeared and she grabbed the staff that now hovered in front of her. Needless to say, it was exactly like the other wand; only it was a shade of lime green and the star was golden.

Minako was amazed by the amount of power that came rushing when the ritual was being done, and Touya was considering a very important fact, "Why didn't the key come out of the book? Why did she have it?" he asked as the book floated back to him. "Because the second key was created by Sakura. Even though it's exactly like yours, and their power is equal, in essence they are not the same; only related. So the book actually refuses the second key."

"Of course, the principles of sympathetic magic! That's how the key works" Mina noticed nudging her friend, the guardian was impressed by her knowledge and Touya understood immediately as he said, "So it's practically used as insurance. As it can be used to seal the cards, it can also be used to track down the book if it went missing, or even track down the other key." Keroberos was actually surprised they both knew that much "Seems you have done your homework, kids. I didn't know they taught you that much at school; but then again, I never really cared about that school anyway."

Now Syaoran answered the second question, "The Li clan was entrusted the twin key by Sakura when she decided that the book would be kept in Tokyo. Of course, it has been a secret even from the council of elders. They actually believed the book was kept hidden in Hong Kong and only the clan leader knew its resting spot."

"Let's just say that they are not happy that even the records said it was there. But they couldn't complain formally about it, since the one who ordered the information to be added to the records had been the clan head at the time" Sun Rei said, glaring at her brother, who only smiled knowingly , "Apparently," she continued, "the key only seals the cards, it does not grant second chances."

"In fact, once the card master or mistress is chosen, it will return to be a key." Syaoran explained, toying with his own charms in his hands. "The mistress didn't have Clow's skills on foresight; she could see the near future if she willed it, but she couldn't go farther than a year or two. Of course, what she lacked in sight, she redeemed in divination and incantations. She could actually divine the future with the cards pretty accurately, for even if what she wanted to know was centuries in the future. That's how she decided to keep the book here, and how she knew a second key would be needed. But there are some things even she couldn't divine. She didn't have the certainty of who the next card master would be, every time she tried to divine it, a different answer would come up." Kero continued to explain as he flew up to Touya and sat on his shoulder.

"That's why there's no bell" Syaoran said simply. "So in the event that the designated cardcaptor couldn't capture the cards for whatever reason, the Li would intervene. Later though, she changed it so that the two would be the designated cardcaptors."

Sun Rei closed her eyes, concentrating as she said, "someone is coming towards the house". Both Touya and Minako concentrated to sense the aura, but they dismissed with a shrug, "It's my mother, you shouldn't worry" he said. Syaoran arched an eyebrow asking, "You are not going to hide Keroberos or the book?"

"Why would I? I mean, if my father knew about them, then so does my mother, she is my dad's seer. If he knew that the book was going to be open, it was because of her."

"Kinomoto-kun, do you have siblings?" Syaoran asked. This question took Touya off guard, he didn't know why Li wanted to know such a trifle matter, "Yes, I have an older sister, her name is Sakura. Why?" The chinese boy jumped in the air doing a victory dance as he landed on his feet, accompanied by the sun guardian. "Weeeiird..." Minako muttered to Touya, who could only nod. Ren then entered the living room, sitting on the single couch that remained and watched amused the Sakura Lives victory dance, only guessing why it was being performed. Both dancers stopped suddenly as they heard the front door opening, "She is not alone!" Kero yelled as he rushed to Ren's hands to act as a plushie. Everyone was surprised they couldn't feel the second aura that accompanied the woman; it was so faint, barely perceptible.

"Tadaima!" she called as she closed the door behind her. Touya quickly hid the book away, and Sun Rei willed the star wand away, since she was still holding it. A few seconds later, the dark-haired woman stood in the threshold, with a young man, with sloppily gray hair that fell to his face and big round glasses, that hid bright amber eyes. "Good evening, everyone. Dear, look who I found wandering around campus today"

Everyone stared at the boy, half of them surprised; "No way!" Syaoran exclaimed, "It's him!" Touya noticed, "Well, I didn't see that one coming, Cerberus," Ren said, holding down the plushie who was intent of flying up to the newcomers.

"Good evening, my name is Tsukishiro Yukito, but I am most likely known as Yue, the Judge."

* * *

_A/N: The principles of sympathetic magic state:_

**_If we analyse the principles of thought on which magic is based, they will probably be found to resolve themselves into two: first, that like produces like, or that an effect resembles its cause; and, second, that things which have once been in contact with each other continue to act on each other at a distance after the physical contact has been severed. The former principle may be called the Law of Similarity, the latter the Law of Contact or Contagion. From the first of these principles, namely the Law of Similarity, the magician infers that he can produce any effect he desires merely by imitating it: from the second he infers that whatever he does to a material object will affect equally the person with whom the object was once in contact, whether it formed part of his body or not._**

_So, from that we conclude how the second key can be used. Now, who thought Yue would show himself until the end? I assume that in the time of Sakura, Yue and Yukito merged, so I will try and make him a mix between the two. And the reason for them not feeling his aura will be explained in the next chapter: one clue, though, he was not masking his aura. Oh, and since Syaoran is convinced he and Sakura are soul mates, he is also convinced that Touya's sister is Sakura reincarnated. Of course we all know that, but he doesn't, he only hopes she is. Sun Rei is not really that annoying or obnoxious, but she got on the bad side of Kero, much like Syaoran did when he met him in CCS._

_One last thing: we know Sakura is strong enough to foresee who the actual cardmaster would be after her. However, to make the story more interesting, and to follow my own rules on magic for Star conjurers, she was far better with divination than foresight (that and Sakura-hime seems to be the one with stronger Sight powers than her). Besides, she wouldn't do that to Yue, don't you think? XD  
_


	5. The Unexpected Reunion

**Disclaimer: Most of these characters are property of CLAMP. Original characters are mine and the story.**

_Konbanwa! This chapter took me long enough. I have no internet, so this one was actually ready two days ago XD This one wraps up all the loose ends, introductions and explanations. Next chapter the cardcaptoring begins!_

* * *

_** Card Captor Legacy**_

**_By Vicks111_**

**Volume I: Himitsu**

_Chapter 5: The Unexpected Reunion  
_

He looked around to the group of people in front of him; half of them he recognized from the Time before. There was Syaoran and Hasushiro, but the other boy that seemed so familiar but wasn't, he couldn't quite recall who he was, the name was in the tip of his tongue, though. His brother, the sun guardian leapt out of the hands of the older man and flew up to him.

"Yue!" he screamed, and held tightly to his chest, burying his face so no one would see the couple of tears that came out involuntarily. "It's been a long time, Keroberos" he patted the other's head gently. Letting go of him, Kero composed himself, "What are you doing here? You are not supposed to..."

"It doesn't matter if I stay away or not" the guardian cut his brother's questioning, gaining a stern look from him. "Don't look at me like that Kero" the guardian beast of the seal turned on his big brother attitude, "What do you mean it doesn't matter? You know very well your responsibilities!"

"Do the cardcaptors know about me or not?" the moon guardian asked as a rhetorical question. The sun guardian glared at him and muttered, "Hai" smirking, he continued, "then it doesn't matter if I am here or not" Defeated, Keroberos turned to the woman who accompanied his brother, "Konbanwa, I am Keroberos Guardian Beast of the Seal of the Sakura Cards" he introduced himself yet again, as everyone behind either giggled or chuckled.

"Konbanwa Kero" she greeted him with familiarity, and directing herself to everyone she said "My name is Kinomoto Amaya. I'm glad to meet you all" She walked towards her husband, which stood up to greet her with a peck on the cheek. "I believe everything is already sorted out?" she asked as Ren nodded. "The cardcaptors have been appointed, and everything explained" Kero replied as Yukito hugged him with his left arm.

"May I ask you all to introduce yourselves? I am kind of in the blue over here" Yukito asked kindly. Amaya placed a hand over Ren's shoulder motioning with her other hand to herself, "You know me already, and you might remember my husband, his name is Ren." She moved towards her son, hugging him from behind and kissing him on the cheek, while he blushed "This is my little boy, Touya-kun; he is the one who opened the book"

"Oh" was the only thing that would come out from the moon guardian as he seemed to recall something. She continued her introductions, "and this is my little boy's best friend Tanaka Minako. She found out about the book, but she can be trusted. As for our visitors" she walked up to them, extending her hand to salute them, "They are Li Syaoran and Li Sun Rei. Li-chan is the other cardcaptor" They shook hands with her and Syaoran spoke, "Kinomoto-san, do you mind me asking how did you know about us?"

Sun Rei elbowed her brother, muttering, "She is a seer you dolt. Of course she knew about us!" Amaya giggled at the exchange, "Well there's that," she smiled knowingly, "but I was the one who received your transfer papers from your school in Hong Kong. Now, if I'm not mistaken, dinner's ready" she took out her cell phone, looking at the time, "Sakura said she would be home by 8, so if you don't mind waiting for a little while, we can have a family dinner together. Darling, let's go fix a room for the guardians to stay in."She motioned a hand to her husband as they both walked away leaving the students behind.

The teenagers circled around the newcomer guardian. Touya was looking at him rather curious, while the Lis fought over who had made a worse fool of themselves. Minako was the first to speak, "How should we call you? You have two names." The siblings were suddenly silent, waiting to hear the answer. "You can call me as you please," Yukito explained, "Both are my given names. However, the Tsukishiro name is meant to be used while I look like this. People would look at me weird if I go around saying my name is Yue"

"Tsukushiro-san it is then," the red-haired girl decided, and Sun Rei seemed to agree with her. "How come we couldn't feel your aura until you walked into the house?" Touya asked, he seemed to be considering a lot of things. "Yue's aura is rather," Kero paused, "peculiar...so, when he is in his false form, he reflects the aura of the person nearest to him. Sakura gave him that ability when other magic users started to be known."

"But that means you really can't be sensed" Sun Rei noticed, and Yukito nodded, "It's useful and so faint, that no one really notices the reflection, not even sorcerers." He walked over Syaoran and asked, "What can you see?" Touya concentrated, "Your aura looks exactly like Li-kun's!" Kero floated from his brother's hands and started glowing with a gold light, "This is the only way you can see Yue's aura while in his false form"

From the green aura that surrounded the guardian, it shifted to a bright silver aura, with a small rim of gold on the outside that matched Keroberos glow. The aura felt so familiar to the guardian, and yet there was something odd, Touya thought. He felt there was something underneath the bright silver aura. He couldn't really recognize what it was since Kero stopped glowing, and Yue's aura disappeared. "False forms?" was the first thought that came to him, "You really don't look like this?"

"Since the cards are gone, we don't have enough power to change into our real forms" Yukito explained, "Besides," Kero added, "We are easier to hide in this forms" The moon guardian walked over to the couch where Touya and Minako had been sitting and lifting one cushion, he took the book that had been hidden. "How many cards do you have?"

Reaching into his pocket, Touya took out the Windy, "One, the top one." Yukito sat down on the couch, placing the book on his lap, "Windy is always the top card." Sun Rei turned to the sun guardian, "Why?" He faced her and shrugged, "Security measures in case someone manages to steal the book." The moon guardian opened the book and frowned, "And the Watery is always the bottom card" he took out the card and closed the book.

"Wai! That means you can start helping the cardcaptors right away." Kero did a somersault in the air, and landed in Touya's hands. "I won't help them; that's not my job." Yukito said, turning serious all of the sudden, "Yue! How can you say that! This is..." he yelled but was cut off by Yukito, as his eyes flashed purple for a second, universal sign that he was getting really angry, "If the cardcaptors need my help capturing the cards, then they are not strong enough to be the masters. Besides it would void the judgement" the other replied, lowering the tone of his voice. Syaoran saw the need to interfere before Yue killed Keroberos, "He has a point Kero. You can help them, and he can't, that's the way Clow set the rules, and Sakura followed, acknowledging them."

Yukito stood up, and walked over to the Kinomoto boy, "Here you go" he handed the card, "I'm tired, I am afraid I have to recline the dinner invitation." Ren and Amaya then entered the living room as someone entered the house. "Tadaima!" she called, as Ren called her, "Okaeri" and turned to his son and the guardians. "Ren-san I was telling Touya that I will be skipping dinner altogether. I'm rather tired" Ren nodded, and turned to Keroberos raising an eyebrow expectantly, "Yes, that's right, I am tired too!" the sun guardian added overacting, "I haven't slept in the last 16 years!"

"Well, then let me take you to your room" he said, turning to the threshold, as both guardians bowed in unison, "Good night everyone" Kero returned to his favorite spot in Yukito's left arm as they left. A young woman with short honey-colored hair that reached her shoulders entered the room, meeting the others who were exiting. "Oh, hi" she smiled sweetly, "who might you be?" Both men looked at each other, and Ren spoke, "This is Tsukishiro Yukito, he is the son of a friend of mine in Kyoto. He will be staying with us for some time"

"Nice to meet you Tsukishiro-kun, my name is Sakura" she hugged him excitedly, the gesture being too friendly for someone you have just met. "Please call me Yukito" he smiled at her, and she noticed the cute plushie on his arm, "This is so kawaii! Is he yours?" she motioned and he let her take a hold of Kero, "Hai, his name is Keroberos" Her eyes went huge at the sound of the name, "Like the mythical three-headed beast from Hades? That name doesn't suit such a cute bear; I shall call you Kero-chan."

"I bet he would love that name, Sakura-chan. Now if you'll excuse me," he took Kero back, "I'm feeling tired from my trip from Kyoto. It was nice to meet you, we will talk more tomorrow" he bowed and left the room with her father.

Ren and the guardians had stopped by the kitchen, Keroberos wouldn't have it no other way, "If I'm not partaking from dinner, I should at least be indulged to something!" he argued, but this arguments were lost on the others. They knew better than to not let him have his say. After taking some food, they were taken upstairs. There were six rooms in the second floor, and they all had a personal bathroom. They walked past to the end of the hallway, "I thought you would appreciate having your old room, Yue-sama"

Yue snorted amusedly, "You are too old to be calling me Yue-sama. Besides you are not the same as before." Kero flew inside, jumping into the big bed, "This one is mine!" Ren instantly headed over to pick him up, "Your bed is over here. And old habits die hard Yue-sama" he placed the sun guardian on a big plush cushion on the floor, and this one growled despairingly, "I hate the floor!"

"By now you should know you are stuck with it Keroberos" Yue moved over to the window, looking outside, "If you keep calling me Yue-sama," he directed himself to Ren without turning his gaze from outside, "both the cardcaptors will look at me like I am above them, and I want them to be...my friends..." Ren approached the guardian from behind and placed a hand on his left shoulder. He cringed a little from the contact, but he didn't look back, "Besides, it makes me feel old...Like a grandfather."

Kero snorted from behind, making them turn to face him, "What's wrong with being treated like a grandpa? The respect, the love...the pudding! It's just too good to be true...I wish they would treat me like that, instead of being always the funny sidekick." Ren laughed and kneeled in front of the guardian's cushion, "You are too cool to be a grandpa." Standing and facing Yue, he continued, "and you are only as old as you feel like." Both guardians looked at each other as the man stood at the door, "The cardcaptor is my son. Remember that..." a snort from Keroberos interrupted him, "...but he is also..." he managed to say, but the moon guardian glared at him, silencing him. Ren sighed, "He is my son and that's all that matters to me now. I don't want him to know anything that..." he now was silenced as Yukito retorted, "His powers will increase and eventually he will remember everything. You cannot do anything to stop it...neither can I." Keroberos looked from Ren to Yue, they both sounded so...powerless. "Good night" the man said and left the room.

Sakura turned around and noticed there were more visitors. "Konbanwa everyone" she greeted, "If I had known we were having visitors, I would have gotten here earlier."

"Where have you been all afternoon?" her mother asked. "Akihiko-kun needed help moving into his new apartment. His dad had an emergency surgery to attend to" she explained and noticed both Touya and the stranger frowning, "Do I know you?" she asked the frowning stranger, who softened his glance at her, "I believe we haven't met before," he said, "My name is Li Syaoran."

The moment was cut short by the other visitor, "And my name is Li Sun Rei," she took Sakura's hands waving it, as the young woman giggled. Syaoran growled at his sister, she was doing it on purpose. "We are about to have dinner, we were just waiting for you dear," Amaya said, and took them to the dining room. Sakura chatted lively with the Li siblings and behind them, Touya and Minako walked slowly.

"You have been awfully quiet, Touya" she commented, and the boy sighed, "I was just thinking..." he paused, gaining a puzzled look on her face, "You know how Li-kun said that his family uses the same names when a person is reincarnated?" she nodded in agreement as he continued, "and you heard Keroberos saying that my dad is the reincarnation of Li Sakura's child," she nodded again, "I was just thinking, that maybe he did the same with us"

She understood where he was going, "And you think Sakura-chan is the reincarnation of the previous card mistress? If she was, she would have recognized the guardians." He shook his head disapprovingly, "Not if she doesn't remember. I don't want her to remember, if she really is her; from what Li-kun said, that's not a nice feeling. So I won't tell her about the cards." Everyone was already in the dining room but them. "Hey, Touya, do you think you have reincarnated?"

He looked at her, bewildered by the question, "What do you mean?" She gave him a teasing look, "If Sakura-chan is the reincarnation of Li Sakura, then you can be the reincarnation of The Kinomoto Touya, school founder and mistress's brother" She laughed out loud at the look on his face. He pushed her, trying to stop her from laughing. "Not only that, but if she is reincarnated," she continued teasing, "That means Li-kun was her husband. He did say he was only here for the sights. That can mean many things!"

Touya grunted, he didn't like where Mina was going with her teasing, mostly because it was plausible. They entered the dining room, and Sakura and Li-kun where talking quite lively; Sun Rei had offered to help Amaya serve the dinner. ''He is flirting with her!" he exclaimed as his sister placed a hand on Li's right arm, "Actually I think she is the one flirting with him" Mina pointed out, as he ran past her, muttering, "distract her."

He quickly grabbed Syaoran's arm, pulling him away from his sister, as Sakura was dragged towards the kitchen by Mina. "Look reincarnated creep," he started, earning a glare from the chinese man, "you better not try anything on my sister, I'll be watching you." Syaoran looked at him quizzically before smirking evilly, "whatever do you mean? Why do you think I will do anything with her?"

This earned a growl from the cardcaptor, "Don't play dumb with me Li-kun. Leave her alone, and we won't have any problems." Syaoran took the hand that was still holding his arm, and dismissed it with a shrug, "Tough luck" he said, and headed to the table sitting down. At that moment, Sakura came out of the kitchen and noticed Syaoran on the table, quickly sitting on the chair next to his. Mina approached her friend, "So?" he glared at the couple chatting, and muttered, "I don't like him one bit." She giggled and led him to sit down, "Tell me something new."

Kero rested on the cushion he had been given and Yue stared out the window. It was cloudy from the rainy weather, and every now and then the moon could be seen. Neither of them felt like talking, but they knew they had to. So Keroberos started, "Why are you really here?" his voice was demanding, but kind. "I told you already it doesn't matter" the moon guardian's voice was soft like a whisper, but it sounded pained. "That's not a reason, and you never do anything without a reason."

Yukito was still lost in the outside world, "I am here to perform my duty." His brother was never cryptic or one to not give a direct answer, so he considered his words. His job, Keroberos thought, is to impart the Judgement, but that was not going to be anytime soon; he also protected the cards, but them being gone, he had nothing to protect. So, there was only one other reason, "You are here to protect them?" he asked tentatively, "what for?

"The right question would be from whom, but I can't tell you...trust me" a cloud passed over his features, making him frown. His glasses often fell lower from his nose from where he used them when he did that, Kero thought, but the glasses stayed put. "I know that the opening of the book was not a secret to anyone who was paying attention, but..." he looked for the right words for his question, "but that doesn't mean the cardcaptors are already in danger. Not at least until one of them becomes the master, and by then their strength..." Yukito was not budging, whatever secret he knew was going to remain a secret. He was not going to get him to reveal it by acting concerned, so he tried a different tactic.

He waited for a few minutes before beginning his attack, it worked better when he was not expecting it, "Tell me," he commanded strongly, and this actually made Yukito turn from his reverie outside, "why the hell are you not going to help the cardcaptors? You may have convinced them all back there, but you cannot expect me to believe all that bullshit!" Keroberos never swore...and even if he did, he never swore at him; he was definitely angry. He was almost yelling now, "We both know damn well you helped Sakura when she needed it back in her cardcaptor days. And don't claim ignorance, that won't work."

Yukito was perplexed; he couldn't say anything and looked confused, turning again to stare at the outside world. 'He is going to crack in the next attack, just need to find the right target' Kero thought, considering his options. "Oh I know!" he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice, as he lowered it instantly, "This is about little Peach blossom downstairs. You can't forgive what the old one did to you, so you won't give a chance to the new one." Yukito snapped furiously at his brother, his eyes turned purple and stayed purple, "How dare you say that? I would never..."

Kero was winning this battle, and he knew it, "I believe your exact words were 'I am not going to forgive him as long as I live!' and back then, you usually meant whatever you said. So, either you were lying to me then, or you are lying to yourself right now. Unless you tell me why you are here or who is after us, I won't believe you." Yukito's amethyst eyes shone like beacons in the darkness of the room, and for a second there, Kero saw the moonlight frame his face as he smirked, "You are right; I am lying to you, but then again you can't tell which the lie is." The moon was covered again by a cloud and the room was dark again. 'I can't believe he called my bluff! He's never called my bluff ever!'

He sighed, "Yue, please..." he let the question linger in the air, "Just trust me nii-chan; I know what I am doing" the other pleaded, not looking at him, fixed on the moon outside. Keroberos knew Yue seldom called him nii-chan, so he trusted whatever reasons he had, "You better tell me one of these days; I don't want you going over your head like last time," he said defeated. He wondered which argument made him lose this battle; his tactics had always to be revised for further improvement. 'Nii-chan' he thought 'that was his winning strike'.

"I am getting softy..." he muttered softly as he fell asleep, "...and softy means old." Yukito heard his brother's ramblings, and sighed, turning to the bead, "I can't tell you because you will make everything worse. You cannot lie to save your life Keroberos" he said low, knowing the other was fast asleep, "Besides, you couldn't stop me if you tried, I have things to settle," he laid down, and slept in the clothes he had been wearing all day.

Downstairs, once the dinner was over, Ren led the visitors back to the living room, as Amaya asked Sakura to help her with the dishes. Once there, Touya was the first to speak, "I don't want Sakura involved in this whole card deal" his father nodded approvingly, "the less people involved, the better." He then opened the front door, "Minako-chan I will give you a ride home. I am taking you guys too, won't let you get a cab at this time at night" he said to the Li siblings and they thanked him. They all went outside, and Touya ran quickly to them, "I had forgotten!"

They stopped as he continued, "Here, you should have this," he handed Sun Rei the Watery card, as she looked at him surprised, "We are in this together, and if there are two cards, then it's only fair if we each had one." She looked at Syaoran, he seemed taken aback by Touya's action, "You do know that even though we are in this together, I intend to keep the cards for myself. We are rivals, and you shouldn't forget that."

He looked at her with kind eyes, "I know that, this is the last freebie; I promise." He extended his hand for a shake, "Rivals?" he asked her jokingly. Sun Rei grinned, the boy was definitely funny "Rivals" she shook his hand, "until one of us becomes the card master." Syaoran grunted something under his breath, and Ren chuckled at this. Both the cardcaptors looked at the chinese boy, "I don't like your brother, though"

She let go of his hand, and smiled at him, "I don't like him either. That's one thing we have in common" She dodged her brother's hand that came forth her, trying to hit her, and ran towards the car, "Good night Kinomoto-kun!" she laughed and entered the car quickly. Soon afterwards Syaoran and Minako got inside, and his father drove off. He stood there, looking at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the moon from underneath the clouds before going back inside. As he gazed, his look was turned to an open window on the second floor. The human guardian stood there, looking outside. It was so dark; he could barely distinguish his features. He was talking to someone, 'probably keroberos' he thought, when he suddenly turned to look at him. They both looked at each other, and the gaze between them was intense. For a few seconds, Touya was lost in the gaze, but once the moonlight shone through the clouds brightly, Yukito turned away from it. He could clearly see the guardian smirking, his eyes shone like beacons against the light of the moon, in an amethyst shade.

He was glued to the ground; the guardian seemed unreal under the shade of the moon, with his purple eyes and pale alabaster skin. "I know him..." he said low to himself, "why do I feel like I know him?" As if he had been heard, Yukito turned his head backs towards him as his lips moved, "Just trust me nii-chan; I know what I am doing."

He thought he heard him say those words, but he didn't. He considered guessing them, but he knew he couldn't read lips. But the words were crystal clear to him somehow; he knew what the guardian had pleaded. He turned to the door to go back inside, "Yue doesn't plead" he said to himself, "but then again how am I sure?" he didn't know the guardian, he couldn't be sure of what he acted like and he wasn't sure he had even heard him. But the words echoed in his mind.

_Trust me_

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_A/N: Finally I am done with this day! Took me five whole chapters to finish it. I am unsure of how many cards will be captured per chapter, and how many per cardcaptor; chapters may be longer from now on. Now, from this point forward, everything will be planned, at least on battles, because character relations where planned since the beginning. Now is the time to make special requests on battles if you feel like it; I am not sure if to plan a chapter involving the characters in wonderland, clamp style. If I do wonderland, though it will be one of the last chapters XD_

_Thank you everyone who has stuck around to read this story! It makes me happy people are interested in it! _


	6. The Magical Courses

**Disclaimer: Most of these characters are property of CLAMP. Original characters are mine and the story.**

_Gomenasai! I am truly sorry for updating soooo late! But you see, I wanted to write the first five cards captured in one whole chapter. I am bordering then 13,000 words, and the battle scene isn't over yet! So, I split the first part of the chapter which is basically a huge filler. That way, I won't bore you with a huge A/N at the ending of the chapter. I'll be posting the rest in the next 2 or 3 days, though, because I am almost finished with it. Enjoy!_

* * *

_**Card Captor Legacy**_

**_By Vicks111_**

**Volume I: Himitsu**

_Chapter 6: The Magical Courses  
_

He couldn't sleep; well, technically, he had been asleep, but now he was awake and couldn't just close his eyes and return to the land of dreams. He was aware of everything; the rustle of the leaves outside, the presence of small wandering animals in the night, of everyone around in the house asleep. He had forgotten how overwhelming the outside world could be to someone with his senses. They had been in the book for too long now.

But foremost of all, there was one presence, the most disturbing one; the one that wouldn't let him go back to sleep. The one he had known so well many years ago, the one that was exactly the same but so completely different that it wouldn't remember him. The one he had loved above all.

By now he was utterly annoyed, he had to move and do something...anything...that could help him ease his mind and his heart. He slowly moved from his bed, checking that his brother was still asleep, and went out the door. He remembered the halls so well; everything in the house was reminiscent of what once had been. They seemed to try and keep it the same for a reason, although he could notice that not one piece of furniture was from his time. But they all tied up and gave the feeling that the house had not changed at all in all those years.

He arrived in front of the door he was looking for. He chuckled to himself, he knew the reason it had been chosen back then, and it was probably the same one this time around. No, it couldn't be the same reason, he had not been here. He sighed, and slowly turned the doorknob with his telekinesis. It felt wrong opening it in any other way; after all he hadn't been invited. Once upon a time, he didn't need permission to open that door, and he wondered if he would ever have to ask for it.

The room was dark, and from the open window on the east side of the room, the light of a street lamp poured itself inside. Oddly, the bedroom was not what he had expected it to be. It was a lovely room in all accounts, some of the things were completely out of place with the style though, but he couldn't really judge them out of place if he didn't really know what they were. He made a mental note to figure out how many of these new things worked and what they did.

He approached her bed slowly, and hovered over near her pillow. She was fast asleep as he landed in the pillow next to her face. He moved some of the bangs that fell on her face, and watched her sleep peacefully. Her aura was still so kind...and pink...he noted, but she was so different from the Sakura he used to know. And she was not as powerful as she had been, he observed. That was certainly odd; she had not planned to split her powers, so there must be a reason for it.

"Keroberos...where are you?" he heard a voice inside his head calling to him. But Yue hated using the telepathy unless necessary and he seriously doubted this was necessary; but then again he could be so lazy whenever he wanted, that it didn't surprise him. "I'm with the mistress" he answered back as he sat there looking out the window. Once upon a time she had chosen that room because it was the only one in the house with a window on the east, letting the morning sun bathe the entire room. She had chosen it to make him happy, because he loved the morning sun.

"She is not the mistress anymore..." Yue called back to him, but he knew it was pointless; both of them were pinning onto people who were already dead. "...she is not our Sakura" he tried to convince him, to ease his mind, to make him feel better, anything to ground him to earth. "You know what's funny? She told me that she would always be with us, even if she died, and I believed her; I really did." Keroberos said, somehow it was easier to talk to Yue like this; He once told him it was because he was too full of himself for the mushy talk. But where he was proud, Yue was rather shy. So, this was the only way to manage this kind of conversations.

"Remember Clow said the same thing" Yue said with a deadpan tone. "Well, but Clow was always so cryptic. He gave us Eriol and Fujitaka, but not Clow. And Sakura...and oniichan..." Kero trailed off, the bad thing about telepathy is that he couldn't hold his thoughts as well as he could hold his tongue. "But this time," he continued before Yue reacted on the Touya deal, "Sakura is here; all of her soul. And she doesn't remember us, which must be some cruel joke from fate. She is not even strong enough to try and get her memories back. I wanted her to be with us...but not like this Yue, not when she won't be able to remember us at all."

"Does it matter? If you ask me, I'd rather be with them like this, than to not have them near us at all. They are our only family." His brother's tone was wistful; he certainly had hope. That made him feel a bit better, but he still was restless, "Do you think I could spend the night here and not get caught?" he asked lying down next to the girl's face. "Really...no...She would freak out if she finds a plush toy from an unknown man in her bed when she wakes up. Come back here already!"

"Damn" he cursed to himself as he flew out the open window to their bedroom. He was about to knock on the window, when a presence sneaked up onto his radar. A very peculiar presence, he turned to the direction from where it came, but oddly enough, he could feel it near the school; but then as soon as it had appeared, it disapeared leaving a very confused Keroberos. Opening up the window, Yue asked, "Did you feel that?"

He was speechless. He looked at Yue, but couldn't utter a word, and turned back at the direction the presence had come, and he still couldn't speak. For one small second there, he had...

"Kero, are you coming inside or not? I want to sleep, you know..." the moon guardian tried to make him speak. Keroberos frowned at his brother, "Aren't we going to look that up?" Yukito smiled at him, sleepily, "What for? It's already gone, and I can't feel it. And it wasn't a card, and that's all that matters right now." The sun guardian was thoughtful for a few seconds, before he flew inside and headed to his bed cushion. He looked at Yukito in the eyes seriously, "I am definitely getting old for a second there I mistook that presence with..." Yue shrugged, as a chill wind from outside entered the room, as he closed the window, "With whom?"

Keroberos was still looking at him, with a frown on his little plush head. The sun guardian shook his head, "I won't tell you if you don't tell me your secret." Yukito sat down on his bed, as he grabbed the sheets, "Too bad, my secret is juicy compared to your mistake." They both glared at each other, trying to break the competition, "Besides..." Yukito raised his eyebrow, as he lay down on the bed, "...I can't risk my secret being the same as what you mistook. So you are not going to know."

"You..." Keroberos eyes widened as he seemed to realize something, "Brat!" He heard the other giggle to himself and Kero knew then that he was right...but it couldn't be; he refused to acknowledge it.

A beautiful peach blossom hovered in front of his face; then a second followed the first and they both landed on the floor. He turned and saw two people standing in front of each other; he couldn't see their faces, but they both looked alike and moved imitating each others moves. He reached out to them, but they turned and walked away, as thousands of blossoms fell around him. Then a blinding light seared itself around him and he was standing in front of a temple. He was talking to someone.

"I can't believe you brought me here of all places for our first date Toya" he heard someone beside him say. His voice was gentle but he could feel the disappointment on it. This was not going as he planned it.

"Come on Yuki, you can't be jealous of the Tsukimine Shrine" he replied back holding the other's hand. "You know very well it's not about the temple" the other replied with a sting in his words. He chuckled and embraced his partner, leaning into his ear, "I just want to buy a charm and make a wish...then we are going on the real date." The other one blushed, and for a moment there he could recognize those amber eyes...

The alarm clock went off, as he bolted from the bed. That last dream had been too vivid for his liking; especially when it was not a dream but a vision. His mother had taught him how to differ visions from dreams; they usually made more sense that dreams, but they were harder to recall. However, his moon powers gave him affinity to foresight, so he knew better. But none before had been so real, and not about him.

"Was that really me?" he stood up and turned off the alarm clock. He was certain that this was him, in the vision, but he couldn't control himself. He showered and readied himself for school. He headed downstairs and saw the moon guardian sitting down on the kitchen table with a cup of milk, reading the newspaper. "Good morning," he noted the guardian spoke in english and he answered automatically in the same language, "Good morning Yuki"

Yukito looked at him quizzically, smiling a little, but he gasped as he recalled his vision. Those amber eyes, the name...it was him, the moon guardian, Yue. He quickly apologized, "Gomen, I mean Yukito...I mean..." he had dropped the english and started choking when he felt a pat in the back from his dad. "He looks so cute when he does that, Ren-san" the guardian said, and he looked at Touya, giving him a bright smile, "I told you already you can call me whatever you like, no need to use honorifics with me. Yuki is fine by me, in fact..." he stood and approached the young man, as he ruffled his hair, "I like it when you call me that, it reminds me of someone."

Both men laughed but Touya didn't get the joke. Yukito started to walk back up the stairs, but he stopped when Touya spoke, "Ano...Yuki..." he paused, he felt weird calling the guardian like that, "what are you doing today?" The moon guardian considered for a moment his options, and found nothing he could actually do, "Look, Keroberos and me will go to campus for your lunch break; meet us in front of the tower. I would go with you now, but Kero is not up yet, and someone has to watch out he doesn't trash the house, either looking for food or trying to turn on the TV." They returned to the kitchen and he continued on his way to his room, as a running Sakura came out of her bedroom and bumped into him, "I am laaaateee!" she screamed, as they both fell to the ground.

"Gomenasai Yukito-san, I am...well, late," she smiled sticking her tongue out sheepishly. He stood and brushed himself, and extended an arm to help her up. "Aren't you ready for school?" she asked once she was up. He took his glasses and cleaned them, "I am not going to school Sakura-chan, I am attending college here. Why would you think I was going to school?" he lied, but what could he really say to her?

She walked past him down the stairs, "Dunno, I guess I expected you would be near us..." she looked at him, with a certain spark in her eyes, and he looked at her puzzled, "in age I mean, I thought you to be Touya's age." He had been holding his breath and he hadn't noticed until he let it go, "This is my first year of college Sakura-chan"

"Oh well!" she giggled and headed downstairs, "I guess I'll see you later then!" she yelled once out of sight. Her dad and her brother were making breakfast on the kitchen, as she rushed past them to the refrigerator, quickly taking a pudding snack and stopped. They both looked at her, when she was in those late rushes she rarely stopped until she was at school. "Ohayo Sakura, is everything alright?" Ren saluted, and she looked back at him, putting the snack back in the refrigerator and grabbing an apple, she closed the door. "I am late for morning duty already," she headed to the kitchen door and stopped in the threshold as Touya asked, "Why aren't you taking the pudding?"

She giggled and simply answered, "Because it's the last one, and I won't come home until it's late. See you later!" she stormed out, leaving one of them shocked and the other one confused. Touya quickly came out of his confusion, and returned to the cooking, "Well, that didn't make sense, even for the kaijuu..." Ren was frowning, and Touya couldn't help but feeling goosebumps when he looked up to him, "Dad?" The man turned to his son, and simply answered, "No, it didn't" as he continued serving the plates quietly. Touya had learned by now that when his father answered him like that, short and to the point, he wasn't supposed to talk to him until the he talked back. He never dared to cross his dad when he was in those quiet moods.

Once breakfast was ready, his mother walked into the kitchen, "Ohayo Touya-kun" she kissed him on the forehead and headed towards her husband. She hugged him from behind and gave him a peck on the cheek, "Ohayo Mr. Grouchy" He groaned back at her, he really was annoyed today, she thought. She could feel the "quiet mood" in the air, and helped placing the plates on the table. They finished eating and taking their respective suitcases and book bag, they left for school. The morning was rather clouded, the weather hadn't changed much from yesterday, but at least it wasn't raining. Once they arrived at campus, each of them took a different direction: Ren headed for the administrative building, Amaya headed for the Magics Complex, and Touya took off to his homeroom in the Mirror Building.

Per usual, Minako had arrived already. She was always early at school; her house was more retired, in the outskirts of the city. Few students had arrived already, since there were still a good 20 minutes before classes began.

"Ohayo Touya!" she saluted rather enthusiastic. She was sure in a good mood, "Ohayo Mina, why are you so happy today?" He sat down next to her, and noticed the empty seat that had been arranged to his left. He groaned, "Did you pull that chair for Li-chan?"

"Well, yeah...you seemed to like her, and you know that doesn't happen everyday" she grinned happily at him, like if she knew something he didn't. He knew that look, but he was not going to give her the pleasure of asking about it. They sat in amiable silence until she couldn't take it anymore, "You will capture a card today!" she whispered excitedly.

"Shhhh! This is no place to talk about that! You had a vision?" She moved her seat closer to his, so they could talk quietly, "Well, no it wasn't a vision. While meditating in the morning in front of the fireplace, I focused my energies to foretell when the first card would appear. Some time today you will have a card that gives you wings!"

He looked at her skeptically, "Wings? Mina, you know that many sorcerers have tried to use flying spells and no one has gotten even near. The only things even close to flying are those awful brooms the westerns like to use, and I wouldn't trust my life to those things."

"Come on! You saw Keroberos fly!" Mina argued, she knew very well what ever she had seen. "Keroberos," he considered, "was levitating, or did you saw him move those wings at all? They are probably just for show."

"Good morning!" someone chirped behind them. They turned and saw the current Li clan heir arrive at the class door, as most of the class hovered curiously around her. Not everyday a beautiful foreign student entered the Tsukimine School of Magical Arts and Seers; Especially on the tenth grade.

The warning bell rang, announcing only five minutes before the beginning of class. Some of the students sat down, but most of the obnoxious boys wouldn't leave the poor Sun Rei to find a seat. She was politely trying to find ways to get away from them, looking around the class room pleadingly. Minako saw the predicament, but before she could do anything, Touya was already heading towards the crowd of boys. Pushing two of them aside, she grabbed the young woman's hand.

"Back off jerks, leave her alone!" He gave them the if-you-know-what's-good-for-you-do-as-I-say glare and tried to walk with Sun Rei to their seats. One of the jocks dared to push his luck, "Hey Kinomoto, you are not better than us. She has been here five minutes and you are already making your move!"

As if trying not to lose his cool, and break the others' faces, he was about to reply when the new student spoke, "Touya-kun is my third cousin twice removed from my father's cousin's mother side of the family. He has every right to do as I let him. Now let's go, Touya" she emphasized his name at the end and walked away. The boys were beyond shocked, and got back to their seats. "Ohayo Li-chan, nice going over there; Touya was about to kill!" Mina giggled as Touya grumpily sat down. Sun Rei noticed the empty seat on the other side of Touya and sat down.

"It was not smart. The last thing I need right now is dumb jocks talking and spreading rumors" the dark haired boy argued, knowing what kind of rumors would be spread out. "They can get suspicious!"

"Why would they? Most of them won't bother to do the math's to find out you are actually not my cousin" Sun Rei tried to ease the mind of the Kinomoto boy. "You won't get it," he muttered, not really in the mood to continue that conversation. Minako saw the opportunity to rely her knowledge on the Li heir. "So, Li-chan, tell me, you know more about the cards than we do, right?"

"Hai" Sun Rei replied, taking out a pencil and a notebook. "Then tell me," Mina continued, "Is there a card that lets you fly?" The lime green eyes of the chinese woman sparkled at the mentioning of the card, "Actually..." she began, but was cut off as the bell rang, admonishing the start of the class. The homeroom teacher entered and started the class, not without first introducing the new student. Several whispers where heard when the teacher explained that Sun Rei came from Hong Kong. They all knew then from what branch of the Li the girl came, and they had to be careful not to cross this particular Li, she must be very powerful. The Li clan was known for being the only clan on the East to refuse to send their members to a magical institution. They claimed they had all the knowledge they needed.

"I saw her come to school with another boy; must have been her brother," a girl commented somewhere in front of them. "She must be high in the Li hierarchy" a boy on the other side explained, "The most powerful in the family are usually trained in all the arts. This school has seen very few Lis in comparison with the other magical clans."

Sun Rei sighed as she sat back down after the introduction. She expected people to talk, but they usually made her family sound like a bunch of troglodytes by comparing them to the other "newer" clans. They didn't understand the beauty of traditions, or the pride of having the most extensive magical library in China. The Lis didn't need to send their members to those kinds of schools, for the simple fact that they had every bit of knowledge ever needed. Nobody knew, but both the Tsukimine's school library and the Li Family library where the same; they had made a mutual agreement to share their tomes and books. Of course, at the beginning it was the school the one benefited with this exchange, since they filled their library with old magic. But in the end, it was the Li clan the one who gained more by this exchange, since the school was now big and powerful enough to gather even the most secret magic from all the way from the west side of the world. Hogwarts and other schools in the west had much to envy from the one and only magic school in the east.

The classes in home room continued until 10AM. Once the class was over, they all headed out to the magics building. They stopped by the lockers inside the building, taking out the heavy text books. "What's your schedule like, Li-chan? Mina and me go to the same courses in the afternoon, because we are both seers. But you don't seem the type..."

Sun Rei showed Touya her schedule, she had been handed to it at the principal's office, "Well, I'm not sure I get this whole class thing, back home they just teach us everything and they don't classify it like this." Mina hovered near Touya as they both read the schedule. "Conjurations IV? That's a hard class for everyone," Mina explained, "even if you have predominant evocation powers. I'll be taking that until next year," she motioned dramatically. Sun Rei blinked; she did not really understand this whole courses deal.

"You see, Li-chan," Touya motioned forth and pointed at the schedule, "There are four courses: Prescience, Divination, Invocations, and Conjurations. Each course is divided then in six different stages, the first one being the basics and the sixth one being the most difficult one. Depending on your power, you get assigned to the courses accordingly. See here" he pointed at the numbers, "You are taking Conjurations IV, Divination III, Incantations and Prescience II. That means your powers are Sun based, you are a conjurer."

"Don't worry, you will be taking Incantations with me, I'll help you!" Mina exclaimed, "Most of those who enter this school after ninth grade never get much advanced. But you have been given strong classes already! It won't be that hard, I bet you will know a lot more than eveyone at conjurations!"

Sun Rei sweat-dropped at the enthusiasm that Minako was showing; Touya shrugged and started to walk away, "See you two at the tower for lunch; Yukito will be here" he waved his hand in a good bye motion as he left. Minako took Sun Rei to where she was going to be taking her first class. When she opened the door, she noticed that Syaoran was in the same class, "Syaoran will be taking this class with me?" Sun Rei asked stunned, "but he is a senior."

"That means Li-kun's power is moon based, like Touya's; oh, and these classes are taught in English, just so you know. Well, I need to go, before I am not allowed to enter my class. See you at lunch!" Minako waved and left the girl at class. She approached her brother, who had a seat ready next to him in the tall laboratory-like table. "Surprised to see me, brother dearest?

Syaoran muttered something to himself, grumpily, "Not really...It's just I wasn't expecting to be stuck here. Sakura-chan is not in this class...She is not as powerful as me right now, and she still is in an advanced class!" He was tearing down a piece of paper while he bickered. Sun Rei tilted her head to the side and smirked, "this is because of that friend of hers right? I just met her yesterday and she already talked me about the boy..." she chuckled as Syaoran tried to throw a pencil at her.

At the moment he was about to throw it though, the sensei walked in, "Good Morning. Let's start chapter two, page 16". The professor, who turned out to be Ren, turned on the Touch-screen computer on his desk, and the lesson was projected on the blackboard. "Conjurations," he started, "include any kind of spell where you call forth your magic in a physical form to the outside. This spells are classified as attack spells. Now, all of you are skilled in at least one form of attack, depending on the type of magic you possess. Sun conjurers are adept naturally on manipulating fire; the moon seers control the flow of water at will. Star conjurers call forth the powers of the wind to their aid and Dark(1) seers manipulate the earth around them. Now that you have reached this stage of your training, you are expected full mastery on your element. The objective of this course is to start teaching other spells that do not fall in the category of your personal element; to teach you how to cast elemental spells without using any kind of channeler, like ofudas, other than your weapon."

The class continued for the hour, and soon enough, it had ended. She stood, saying goodbye to her brother, "Meet me at the tower for lunch, Kinomoto-kun says Tsukishiro-san will come." As everyone exited the room, Sun Rei noticed Minako waiting for her outside. "I assume," the red-haired girl spoke as the other one approached, "that you now have an idea of the difference between the courses."

"Yeah, but to tell you the truth I was surprised by it. I mean, I can see why Syaoran is taking that class, he still relies a lot in his ofudas, but I'm not as powerful as he is." They walked to the Incantations II room. "He is stronger, but his moon energy is harder to concentrate and expel. To you, it comes much more easily."

"Back at home, they taught us those principles, but I never thought it was harder for him. Did you know that it was actually Clow Reed the one that came up with dividing the magical energies of humans into the four cosmic forces? Many scholars these days just assume that the knowledge was gathered by several magicians of the 1600s and pulled together into one big tome. But the truth..." Sun Rei approached now whispering, "...is that Clow Reed wrote that book, and only made 2 copies. One is owned by the Li clan and the other one was lost. The clan decided that the knowledge had to be shared, and diffused the knowledge as several scripts all along China. That's how that story came up. It's very fitting that the school uses those parameters."

Minako's eyes sparkled at the revealed information of the occult; she grabbed the raven-haired girl by the arm and rushed to the designated classroom, "this is the beginning of a lasting friendship!" Incantations II, being one of the easier courses, was taught by a new teacher that came from the west. He was a tall man, with jet black hair, that was styled in a braid from the neck to the shoulder blades. His complexion was tanned by the sun, but it could be seen his skin was originally pale. Most of the girls swooned over him, because he was only 22 years old. He was standing by the doorway when the girls came through. Noticing the new student, he decided to introduce himself.

"Ohayo, you should be the new student from Hong Kong," she spoke to the girls, as Mina rolled her eyes. "Kinomoto-sama told me about you, please to meet you. My name is Lex Diaz, and I'll be your teacher. It's nice to see new faces from other places in here. If you need any help, please do not hesitate to look for me." They shook hands as Sun Rei blushed, "Hai, sensei. My name is Li Sun Rei, nice to meet you."

Mina was getting bored by the exchange, so she dragged her friend inside, "Let's go! All the best seats will be taken!" Once inside they sat down on the third row. "The sensei has a funny accent, and he is cute..." Sun Rei sighed dreamily. Mina shook her head disapprovingly, "That guy is a flirt; you shouldn't mind him. He is from Spain, but he thinks he is so cool. He is a strong magician and a decent teacher, I'll give him that."

"Why don't you like him?" the Li heir asked suspiciously. Minako grunted, a very uncommon gesture in her, "He irks me; I don't know why!" Sun Rei took out her book, and replied sarcastically, "Yeah right!"

"Let's begin, shall we?" he closed the door behind him and dimmed the lights. He then approached the desk and lighted the computer, which started reproducing a soothing music while he spoke. "Incantations or actually, invocations are those spells in which the user focuses his magic within him or another object, to get a desired effect. There are many variations to these, but most of their uses are purely defensive, in battle terms. This is the widest branch of magic, as it includes roughly 60 of all known and cataloged spells. Their uses can vary from healing, to shields and barriers, to illusions and item enchanting. The most powerful invocations can actually hurt a designated target, either by disabling their physical or magical abilities, or by applying a curse to the target. The objective this term is to teach you how to focus your energies and to apply them to objects and give them proper form. You will learn how to properly create shields and heal minor injuries." Lex smiled in the direction of the new student and her friend, and continued with the class.

"Finally! I need sugar!" Minako walked quite hurriedly, as Sun Rei followed her slowly. It was already 12:00pm and they had just gotten out of class. As they approached the tower, they noticed that Touya, Yukito and Syaoran were already waiting for them. The guardian was carrying what seemed to be a bag full of bento boxes, as the other two boys stood there on what seemed to be a glaring competition. The girls walked up to them, saluting them, "Hey guys!"

Yukito smiled at them, "Konnichiwa Tanaka-chan, Li-chan, how are you doing?" Minako stood next to Touya as to try and get his attention away from his new nemesis. "It seems as if Touya has found himself a new past time, Tsukishiro-san. I am doing rather fine,"

"It's been a busy morning," Sun Rei sighed, "and to tell you the truth, i never thought I would be getting a headache from two-hour non-stop of teaching." Kero Jumped out of Yukito's jacket, "Are we going to eat or what? I'm hungry over here!" This earned giggles from the girls, as Yukito swiftly and abruptly pushed the sun guardian back inside, "Shut up you, we are going!"

"Let's go to the winter garden; It is empty this time of the year, since the spring garden is in full bloom" Minako offered, and everyone nodded in agreement. "What did you guys do all morning?" Touya walked next to Yukito. "Well, I cooked," the gray-headed guardian acknowledged, "and Keroberos, well...he toyed around with everything that seemed remotely electronic."

"What?" Touya took the plush guardian from Yukito's jacket and gave him a good shake, "For your sake, I hope nothing is broken!" Kero struggled from the cardcaptor's grasp, "Let me go! I broke nothing! I am innocent!"

"He might have not broken anything, but I wouldn't deem everything is now working as it should be," Yukito said sarcastically, earning a glare from Kero. Of course, that would have been much more intimidating if it hadn't lasted a whole 2 seconds before Touya started shaking him again. They reached the garden which was deserted as expected, except for two or three students.

The garden itself was gorgeous, surrounded as it was by tall peach trees. The four gardens at school, one per season, were in the very edges of the campus, surrounded by the forest that lay in the rest of the land. They were like havens in the middle of the sea of tress. Each garden bloomed according to their own season, for the exception of the winter garden, which flowers didn't wither at all during the course of the year, making it the most beautiful garden of them all and usually the loneliest one.

On the edges of the garden, the fields were covered by red and yellow tulips, which where each separated by color. The most striking feature, however laid at the center, where several benches surrounded a big statue that was surrounded by red poinsettias, forbidding passage to those who wished to approach it. Whispering, Yukito approached Touya, "Keroberos…?"

"I'm on it…" the guardian beast of the seal trailed off, as his aura started to flare. They all were looking at him intently as the aura was gold first, and then, it turned a bright searing red. He flared for a few more seconds, and then stopped. The few students that were wandering around soon left them all alone in the garden. Touya raised an eyebrow skeptically, "What did you just do?"

"Much like I can attract people around me to reflect their auras, Keroberos while in his false form can…" Yukito paused, trying to find the right word to explain, "…repulse people around him; depending on how much power he uses, he can even make people leave his vicinity."

"People won't notice me, even if I am right next to them. Remember when we met with Minako-chan yesterday? She didn't notice me until I flew up to her! I call it 'The best damn spell Sakura ever casted…spell' Kero did a flip in the air, as everyone sat down. Touya looked up to him, "Would you please refer to her as the card mistress? Every time you call her Sakura, it gives me goosebumps and I picture my own sister"

"Bah!" Kero landed in the center of the sitting students, "There's hardly any…" he was stopped suddenly by Yue's telepathic reprimand, "You can't tell them that! Do as he says for once!" Kero growled and sat down, crossing his arms in disdain. Yukito was the only one standing; he was looking at the statue intently, with his back to them. "When did they add this statue to the garden? Back then…there was no statue."

"I don't remember exactly, but it's contemporary with the other ones in the other gardens," Touya said, taking a bento box from the bag the guardian had brought. Kero fluttered up to Yukito, and whistled, "I hadn't noticed it before, but you were kind off lanky back then…you do need to eat more!" He laughed madly at the expression on Yukito's face for a few seconds before he was seized hardly by the moon guardian. Yukito kept staring at the statue, while squeezing Kero with his right hand. Someone behind him gasped, and they all turned to look at Syaoran.

"You are right; those statues are not from that time. Demo…" he looked puzzled around him, "…demo, why is there a statue of Yue in here?" he asked everyone and no one in particular. The main attraction of the garden, the guardian statue stood tall before them. A tall man, with long hair and wings that reached up to his feet, the statue was carved with white stone. The features were delicate, and the design of its costume, simple but elegant. On his right arm, a shawl was draped and reached to the floor. On his left hand, he held a long intricate staff that ended with a crescent moon on the top. The moon itself had wings sprouting from the sides. "You mean…" Touya muttered as he looked up to the moon guardian.

"That is how your true form looks like? I never thought that the garden statues guardians were real," Minako commented as Syaoran shrugged. Keroberos struggled against the iron grasp in which Yue held him, and finally letting him go after a minute, the guardian inhaled sharply trying to get some air to his lungs. Recovering from the previous assault, he flew up to Touya and his eyes held a glint in them, "You mean there's a statue of my awesomest truest form?" Both Minako and Touya exchanged a look, before he turned back to the guardian, "Well, there are two animal statues, which one are you?" he asked as Minako supplied, "One is a winged panther and the other one is a winged lion."

"Wai! Suppi got a statue too! That way I can show you who the handsomest sun guardian is! OH HO HO HO HO!"

"Who is Suppi?" Sun Rei asked around, but those who knew the answer were preoccupied with themselves. She turned to Syaoran, "He is the other sun guardian; he has nothing to do with the cards, though" he stated.

Touya stood, and approached the standing moon guardian. He had been standing there for a long while, in quiet meditation. He placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you all right?"

The other didn't look up to the cardcaptor, "That's his staff..." he muttered, but before the boy asked he quickly answered his question, "How would you feel if you just found a statue of yourself somewhere, and no one asked you about it?"

He faced the boy, turning around, "That's not fair, I shouldn't say that...but..." his head turned in the direction in the statue and shrugged, "I don't like it." Touya was stunned to say the least, Yue had such a serious tone that almost seemed impossible against his kind face; what surprised him even more was the longing look his eyes betrayed. Yukito walked past him to the group of eating teenagers and sat down swiftly. Taking out a bento box, he started eating silently.

Touya found himself in an awkward position, usually reserved from when his father was mad at him. Yukito's mood reminded him of his father when mad; silent and to the point. Then again, in the last day, he had noticed that his father shared some mannerisms with both guardians; he teased like Keroberos, but the most noticeable one was the seriousness that always seemed out of place that usually haunted him.

He sighed, and went back to where he was sitting next to Minako. "What are you going to do for the rest of the day?" Minako took out a candy from her backpack as she asked Keroberos. The sun guardian flew up to her quickly as she handed it to him, "Wai! candy!" Yukito coughed loudly, reminding Keroberos to behave, "I mean," he fixed himself, "we are going to be at the library until school is done. We need some information that's stored there."

"Once we are out, we have to go shopping," Touya muttered, playing with the food on the plate. Syaoran gave him and inquisitive look, and Sun Rei asked, "Can we go with you guys? We are also going shopping, might as well all go together."

"Why are we shopping, 'niichan?" Kero fluttered near him and saw the boy's left eye twitch as he called him that. The sun guardian grinned amused by the reaction of the cardcaptor boy. "Otou-san said that Yuki probably needs clothes" was the only answer Touya offered. At the mention of his shortened name, Yukito snapped back to reality. He found himself smiling slightly; most of his seriousness was gone just from hearing that small nickname.

"That sounds nice," Yukito added his bit, "Although, I really don't need much clothes." He smiled warmly and Touya felt the quiet mood dispersing. "I assume you two," Syaoran motioned a the guardians, "know that it has been decided to keep the card deal among those who are already involved," Kero and Yukito looked at each other, and nodded their understanding, "we won't tell Sakura" Keroberos promised, not without a heavy sigh.

Sun Rei took a glance at her watch exclaiming, "Oi! We have to go already, the bell is about to ring!" They got up quickly, picking everything around them. Yukito took Keroberos in his arms, as Touya approached whispering, "This is my favorite garden"

Yukito's face showed a small blush; he knew his expression was not as easy to control as in his normal form. Keroberos chuckled knowingly, which made Touya turn from Yukito's face before he saw the flushed state of the guardian. "I know" was the only reply he got from Yukito as he walked by. "You certainly have not appreciated the beauty and grandness of the summer garden in full bloom!" Kero haughtily laughed into the air as they all walked towards the campus buildings. The guardians dismissed themselves, as they walked towards the library. Syaoran headed towards the Hope building for his homeroom as the tenth graders went to their own.

As Syaoran entered the building, he was greeted with one of the best sights in all school: Sakura laughing as she ran full speed towards the stairs. As in slow motion, she tripped and started falling backwards. He instantly ran to her, managing to catch her before she hit the ground. They laid together for a few seconds before Sakura turned to him.

"Arigato...Li-kun!" she wasn't expecting him, but still laughed warmly at him. Standing, she offered him a hand to help him up. Once up, he started to brush himself, "You should be more careful, Kinomoto-san" a smile hugged his lips as she grabbed his arm and interwined it with hers, "Please call me Sakura, Kinomoto-san makes me sound old"

"Only if you call me by my name too," he answered, as he blushed lightly by their closeness. "Okay, Syaoran-kun! Did you have a nice lunch with your imouto?"

"Yes, it was nice, but I would have loved to have lunch with you," Syaoran walked up the stairs, still with their arms interwined. "Oh, next time I'll invite you to come with us, then!" she chirped, but he suddenly stopped. "Us?"

She blinked, and continued, "Yes, me and Akihiko-kun. We always have lunch together" He clenched his fists, but showed no other emotion at the mentioning of the other's name. "It would be nice of you to join us at lunch, Li-san" a voice behind him startled him, and they both turned to see the boy in question. "Akihiko-kun!" Sakura let go of Syaoran's arm, as she walked over to her friend, "are we still going out today?"

"Of course Sakura-chan," the gold-haired man smiled gently at her friend, but before he could say anything more, the chinese student walked away, leaving them alone. He sighed disappointed, "He doesn't like me either." Sakura shook her head, and placed a hand on his cheek, "Don't let them get to you; you just met them." She tried reassuringly, and he placed a hand on hers, taking it from his face, "Arigato, Sakura". They both headed back to their class, contentedly.

* * *

_(1): Darkness seers, magicians whose powers are drawn from darkness, like Clow._

_A/N: Finally some insight on courses and magical types! Like the yin-yang, they are the sun conjurers and moon seers, and the star conjurers and darkness seers. Conjurers are basically the more battle inclined ones, and seers are the ones with the "sight" of the future. Conjurers on the other hand, are more apt with divination than foresight. I've also given them each of them an element they master, much like in X/1999 where Karen was a fire master and Seiichiro was a wind master. But about now only Syaoran and Minako have their elements fully mastered. I know that Syaoran from TRC is more related to fire, but since in CCS they say he is moon-aligned, then here he uses water. Oh, and to make up for making those who are following this (I love you ) I am posting some character profiles right here. Syaoran and Sakura's profiles are basically the same as the old ones._

_**Name:** Kinomoto Touya  
**Birthday:** February 29  
**Age:** 16 (just turned)  
**Hair color:** Dark brown, actually a dark honey shade  
**Eyes:** bright hazel (I keep confusing them with Yukito's XD)  
**Height:** 1.65 m (he's short! Well, he just turned 16, he hasn't fully developed)  
**Relatives: **Ren (father), Amaya (mother), Sakura (big sister)  
**Hobbies:** Soccer, Music and Programming  
**Favorite Subject(s)**: Chemistry  
**Least Favorite Subject(s)**: Divination  
**Extra-Curricular**: Captain of the soccer team, and the choir's go-to piano player  
**Favorite Colors**: Blue and to a lesser extent peach  
**Favorite Flower**: peach blossoms  
**Favorite Food**: steak  
**Best Receipe**: Rice omelette, fried noodles  
**Wants the Most**: expensive soccer gear_

_**Name:** Tanaka Minako  
**Birthday:** May 28  
**Age:** 15 (about to turn 16)  
**Hair color:** dark red  
**Eyes:** dark blue  
**Height:** 1.64 m  
**Hobbies: **reading and music  
**Favorite Subject(s)**: Prescience and History  
**Least Favorite Subject(s)**: Divination  
**Extra-Curricular**: Choir back-up singer  
**Favorite Colors**: white and red  
**Favorite Flower**: tulips  
**Favorite Food**: sweets  
**Best Receipe**: can't cook, but tries to on special occasions  
**Wants the Most**: Hair accesories_

_**Name:** Kinomoto Ren  
**Birthday:** April 9  
**Age:** he will tell you he is 35 every time you ask  
**Hair color:** Chestnut brown  
**Eyes:** strong green  
**Height:** 1.78 m  
**Relatives:** Amaya (wife), Sakura (daughter), Touya (son)  
**Hobbies:** Writing  
**Job**: School owner and Principal, Conjurations IV teacher  
**Favorite Colors**: Black and green  
**Favorite Flower**: lotus, especially white ones  
**Favorite Food**: sushi  
**Best Receipe**: takoyaki  
**Wants the Most**: a new pair of glasses_

_**Name:** Kinomoto Amaya  
**Birthday:** October 17  
**Age:** she won't tell you because you might then guess Ren's age  
**Hair color:** Black**  
Eyes:** midnight blue  
**Height:** 1.72 m  
**Relatives:** Ren (husband) Sakura (daughter), Touya (son)  
**Hobbies:** Painting and Music  
**Job**: Head of the Magic Department, Prescience IV and VI teacher  
**Favorite Colors**: Black and blue  
**Favorite Flower**: lotus and roses  
**Favorite Food**: Pudding and modern yaki  
**Best Receipe**: fried eggs and ham  
**Wants the Most**: to publish her Prescience book_

_**Name:** Li Sun Rei  
**Birthday:** November 28  
**Age: **16  
**Hair color:** Black  
**Eyes:** lime green  
**Height:** 1.67 m  
**Relatives:** Syaoran (big brother)  
**Hobbies:** karate  
**Favorite Subject(s)**: Conjurations  
**Least Favorite Subject(s)**: Japanese  
**Extra-Curricular**: none  
**Favorite Colors**: green and yellow  
**Favorite Flower**: Chinese lantern  
**Favorite Food**: Kung Pao chicken  
**Best Receipe**: soup dumplings  
**Wants the Most**: to get the sakura cards_

_**Name:** Kanatsuki Akihiko  
**Birthday:** December 28  
**Age:** 18  
**Hair color:** platinum blond  
**Eyes:** pale blue  
**Height:** 1.74 m  
**Relatives:** lives with his father  
**Hobbies:** Soccer  
**Favorite Subject(s)**: Math, Chemistry and Divination  
**Least Favorite Subject(s)**: none  
**Extra-Curricular**: soccer goalie  
**Favorite Colors**: white and blue  
**Favorite Flower**: tulips  
**Favorite Food**: anything oriental  
**Best Receipe**: soups  
**Wants the Most**: to be liked by everyone_


	7. Word Games

**Disclaimer: Most of these characters are property of CLAMP. Original characters are mine and the story.**

_Again, sorry for the long delay. But this chapter is really long, and the wording just __**had** to be right. Hence, the title; this is my second milestone, 11,000 words in one chapter, not including author notes! w00t!_

* * *

_** Card Captor Legacy**_

**_By Vicks111_**

**Volume I: Himitsu**

_Chapter 7: Word Games_

The rest of the classes were over soon and uneventful. The cardcaptors and friends met up outside of the magics building. Syaoran was the last to arrive, soon followed by Sakura and her friend.

She saluted them all spiritedly, and introduced those who didn't know each other. After exchanging pleasantries with her brother's friends, she spoke to him. "Hey gaki," Syaoran couldn't hold the chuckle that came from him as she called Touya that, "Akihiko-kun and I are going out today; I won't be home until late, so please tell okaa-san."

"Kaijuu..." he muttered menacingly, "what am I, your messenger? Tell her yourself!" Akihiko placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Please do us this favor, little one" he smiled soflty; he seemed to enjoy taunting him, it almost seemed on purpose. A throbbing vein on Touya's forehead became somehow visible; who does he think he was treating him like if he was a mere child!

The other's were completely engrossed on the scene before them; Syaoran couldn't hold his sniggers, but quickly composed himself and glared as the other senior boy looked at him. Sun Rei was looking from one face to the next, expecting an explosion any moment now; she had been only one day at school, and she already knew that no one messes with Kinomoto Touya. Seniors and fellow classmates alike always kept their distance from him. As for Mina, she approached her friend and entwined their arms together, as she soothed him with a bit of magic in her touch. She looked at his friend's sister and bowed, "Don't worry, I'll let Amaya-sensei know of your message."

Sakura smiled gratefully at the girl, "Arigato Minako-chan, you are a much better sister to me than he is a brother!" She felt him struggle to let go, and held on him tighter, "Only because Sakura-chan is the best onee-chan one could have." They both laughed, and taking a hold of Akihiko's hand, Sakura started to walk away, "I'll see you later, everyone."

Soon, they both were gone, and the group started walking towards the library. "I don't know why you have to be so nice to her," Touya complained as he let go of her arm. Minako looked at him sweetly, "I love her like my sister, as I love you as a brother; you know that already."

Behind them, the Li siblings talked to themselves. "So that is the famous Akihiko-kun" Sun Rei laughed as her brother snorted, "I can see why she likes him better than you!" She dodged a slap to her arm that came from her brother's way, "He doesn't leave her alone at all! Not only that, but they are both taking the same classes, and I only see them in two periods. It's frustrating!"

"Here we are!" In front of them, Minako exclaimed, turning to face them, "this is the school library, so far the biggest library of Magic in Japan, and probably one of the most known all over the world." Touya opened the door and walked inside, "Yuki said they would be here, lets look for them."

As they walked inside, the sheer opulence of the majesty inside set the foreigners aback. Unlike the rest of the campus, which was kept in a contemporary style when it came to its interior design, the library was set in a very old western style, resembling a mixture between the goth and the barroque; smooth columns and design that contrasted with intricate carvings on the roof and the walls. The walls were lined with famous paintings, and the wooden furniture was intricately carved. It was one whole room on itself, open in the center, with four floors on the east and the west, clearly divided into sections. On the first floor, the tables lay for students who needed to study on the right side, and the computers for those whose information was not found in a printed copy was on the left. An information booth stood in the center, where the librarians attended those who needed help. Approaching the booth, Touya took out a keycard.

"Konnichiwa" he saluted as the librarian took the keycard and scanned it for entry; everybody else took out their respective cards to be scanned. "I am looking for a friend of mine, and was wondering if you could direct me to where he is. His name is Tsukishiro Yukito." The lady nodded the greeting and typed into the computer the name of the one being searched, "Ah, the boy with the old key code," they nodded as she continued, "those codes where changed a long time ago, I wonder why he never got the new one. Anyways," she turned the screen to them and a map of the library was shown, "He requested entry to the video room on the fourth floor, east wing"

"The conference lounge? I thought entry was restricted" Minako, of course, leaned over to have a better look at the map. The lady shrugged and turned the monitor to face her once again, "He had clearance. Kinomoto-san…" she motioned at Touya, "…has clearance too, so you can all accompany him."

"Arigatou Gozaimasu" Touya bowed slightly and Minako motioned the other ones to follow them. They entered an elevator that took them directly to the required floor. "The first three stories of the library are open to the public. However on the fourth floor…" Minako paused as she looked up at her friend, and he just shrugged, so she continued, "The fourth floor is closed because it houses the school's main storage database. Restricted data is stored there, and even with the entry clearance code, there are other several codes needed for full access."

"So that's why the librarian let us through; we couldn´t do anything even if we wanted to without proper the codes" Syaoran mused as the doors opened. "I wonder" Sun Rei thought out loud, "how much clearance does Tsukishiro-san actually has?"

Minako and Sun Rei giggled, and they started walking again. Touya was still bothered by the senior prick friend of his sister and to a lesser extent to the Li creep. When they arrived to the double doors that lead to the conference room, Touya entered his keycard in a magnetic keyhole, glowing a bright green, signaling them that the lock was open. Walking inside, they found the humanoid guardian seated in front of a large terminal in the far end of the room. As a conference room, it was filled with seats, and the terminal was connected to a widescreen monitor, that was the length of the wall.

"There are no windows in here?" the fact almost was taken for granted by the newcomers. Sun Rei looked around, "and there's only one possible entry" she pointed to the door. Unlike the open spaces that made up the library below, the east and west wing on the fourth where locked and did not connect to one another. The only entry was near the elevators and these where at the extremes of the wings. "Complete privacy" Touya muttered, but they managed to hear him, "whatever happens inside, stays inside. The only security cameras in the floor are on the elevators."

"I've never been here before," Mina confessed, "It's such as I imagined it!"

The chinese siblings exchanged a look that could be described as 'hoooeee' to those who were paying attention. Thankfully, both Touya and Mina were a little preoccupied.

"Konnichiwa" Touya saluted from behind, as he approached the moon guardian, placing a hand on the other's shoulder, "What are you doing?"

He noticed then, the plushie sun guardian sitting in front of Yukito and looked curiously as the first one directed the second one on through the files on the computer screen. He raised an eyebrow inquiringly, and Minako took upon herself what exactly where they doing.

"Keroberos" she spoke, but it seemed that they were both really concentrated, and hadn't noticed the others. "No, you want that file with the red tag" Kero directed and Yukito complied, "now open it, and let me try to figure out the code." The guardian beast of the seal stood, and taking a pencil, he started stroking keys with it. Yukito then, having nothing else to do, noticed those who had arrived, "Oh, konnichiwa Touya-kun! Tanaka-san!" he stood, leaving Keroberos to the file extracting process, "mind if I call you all by your names?" he asked everyone, and they all agreed, "arigato!"

"What are you guys looking for?" Syaoran asked, tilting his head as he spoke, he didn't quite remember, but he knew they were looking for something important. "Back in the days, Kero-chan and I did a compilation on the cards, and it was stored in the main database. He is trying to open it up, right now." They all looked at the plush sun guardian as he tried one and another code, failing repeatedly. "Someone messed up with my file system! All the codes were changed!" he growled as he threw the pencil in the air. "I give up!"

Yukito chuckled, as his brother flew up to the sweet girl who gave him candy earlier, "Minako-chan..." his beady little eyes opened largely and started to water pleadingly, "...give me candy?" in the background, he could discern an indignant reply from his brother, but he didn't care, as the lovely girl who always smelled of candy handed him a sweet. He ate it wholeheartedly whilst the others spoke.

"Why don't you try, Yuki?" Touya walked over looking at the screen, "maybe Keroberos messed up." The guardian beast of the seal started to choke on his treat, and the moon guardian couldn't help but chuckle, "I doubt so, he is the programmer here." The room went still, and a needle dropping from the third floor of the library could have been heard. "What? As much as I like to bother him, he is not really that stupid. He's got to be useful for something more than eating."

"I still don't believe you, Tsukishiro-san" Sun Rei glanced over to where Kero glared at her menacingly, "Please, call me Yuki-" but he was interrupted as Keroberos flew up to the girl in question, "I'll have you know, chinese brat" he glared more intensely, but she kept her eyes leveled to his, "that I was the one that created the whole programming system and networks that keeps this school floating. Well, at least the basic one, because somebody changed my system!" He floated up to the cardcaptor boy, pushing his face into the other's nose, "I want names and addresses!"

For the first time since lunch, Touya managed to laugh a little, "You really did it all by yourself?" His tone was soft, so Kero couldn't help but drop the yelling-angry screams of despair, "Well, yeah, I got some tiny" he squished his paws together, "tiny help from beings with opposable thumbs, but I made the code, the programs, they are all in here" he motioned at his head and sighed, "and now they are all gone"

Touya sat down, and started typing something on the terminal, as he motioned the guardian forward. "There's a backup from the old system," Kero did a flip in the air, and landed in the cardcaptor's head, "Wai!"

Touya opened some files, and then in the screen appeared a whole bunch of numbers. "This is a basic command from the operating system."

Kero flew up, approaching the screen, "Binary algorythims, but they don't make any sense," Touya then typed a command and the numbers jumbled up, changing orders, "That can't be..." the guardian muttered. From behind some whispers could be heard, 'Do you know what they are talking about?' and the most pertinent one, 'He is making it all up as he goes!'

He did not care as he came down to Touya, "Anagrammed binary algorithms, that actually work and make sense? How?"

"Well, considering they are all numbers, you just have to turn the algorithm into an anagram that adds up to the same number as the original algorithm." Kero nodded, thinking and retaining the information "makes sense; too much sense. Who came up with the idea?"

Touya seemed a little abashed as he replied, "I did..." Everyone jumped back, expecting the sun guardian to start flying manically around the room yelping something of the matter like 'I'll kill you' or 'I'm off to find a cliff to throw you off', but neither the first nor the latter happened. He just nodded again and sat in front of the seated boy, "I'm impressed, kid"

"Thanks...hey!" Touya yelped, "why are you calling me a kid?" The guardian beast of the seal looked up from his sitting position in front of the youngster and shrugged, "compared to me, you are a small fry" he replied nonchalantly.

"Keroberos..." Yukito muttered from beind, hoping his brother would stop bullying the cardcaptors. "Well," now this time he did raise his voice, "what do you expect me to say, Yue? The kid made a program to turn my command lines into functional anagrams, which probably only took him an hour to code, and then turned my whole system around with it, which probably took another hour, and that was it everything works fine and dandy, because even though the code is different, its the same system." He then raised his voice even more, "he encrypted my encryption! He is lucky to be alive right now!"

"And why is that?" Touya asked in a low sarcastic tone, so that only the guardian would hear him, "Because I may kinda like you eventually..." the other muttered, before talking loudly again, "so that means that my codes still work! We just have to run them through that thingy of yours, now open it!" The two of them worked with the terminal for a while. Minako walked over to where Sun Rei was standing, talking quietly with Yukito.

"I never thought Keroberos would have a mind for...that..." Sun Rei paused as she pointed at the screen, "It's so weeird." Yukito chuckled, as he combed his hair with his right hand, "he has always liked electronics, and one day I found him reading a programming book and asking me to teach him some mathematical functions; I thought he was playing a prank on me, but eventually I figured that it might as well be true."

"But why programming?" Minako inquired, taking another candy from her pocket and eating eat. "Being stuck inside a house for long hours can bore anyone down, even Keroberos. He found out that videogames and TV weren't just enough. So he thought that if he could make his own videogames, he would never be bored again. Fuzzy logic if you ask me" Yukito turned to the other two as they raised their voices once more, fighting.

Syaoran was getting bored by this trifle business they were stuck in, so he spoke to the two sitting in front of the computer, "Are you done? I'm tired of this place." Touya turned around to glare at him, but Kero kept ordering, "Oniichan, what are you doing? open it up already!" He found himself in a bad mood again, and sighed sharply, "Hold on Keroberos"

Turning, he directed an icy glare at the Li creep, "You might as well leave, it's not like you are important in any way." Kero sniggered as Yukito shook his head disapprovingly, and one of the girls, probably his sister muttered an 'ouch'. He was about to storm off, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him, "Li-kun, give him time, he doesn't like changes that much" a soft voice he recognized as the one from the Tanaka girl made him reconsider. "Hai, I know, but this rivalry between us is an old wound..." he spoke soflty, and she was about to ask him what he meant, when Keroberos exclaimed triumphantly, "It works! Come have a look!"

They all gathered in front of the computer as many images appeared in front of them. "This is the card's database; I was looking for it so I could show the cardcaptors what they will be dealing with. Now all we have to do is download the database into a pocket pc" Keroberos explained as he flew up to the chinese girl, "hand me yours, so we can finish this quickly."

She did as she was told, and soon both cardcaptors' pocket pcs had everything they ever needed to know about the cards. "That means your job is even more diluted now, Keroberos; you really are lazy." Syaoran laughed and Yukito couldn'tn help but add, "Well, if you think about it, they are better off this way, anyway." They all laughed now at the poor guardian beast of the seal, "URUSEI!" he yelled, and they all laughed harder.

Yukito was the first one to sober up, "Then if we are done here shouldn't we be going?" They all nodded, and Touya turned off the computer. Kero glared at them all before landing in the hands of Yukito, "You know this is not a laughing matter" he used telepathy to let his brother know of his disgust. "Hai, the cards are stronger now, and they will need the help from both Syaoran and Minako-chan if they want to succeed, but no need to worry them," Yukito sighed as he sent the telepathic message, "before it is time."

They all headed to the elevator and where soon out of the library. Once outside, Touya led them to the parking lot, and they all got into the Kinomoto's car. Since both his parents were going to be working until late in the offices, they lent him the car to go shopping. Of course, once they were done, he had to go and pick them up.

It was already five o' clock, when they reached the Shinjuku district. It hadn't changed much from the old times, both Syaoran and Yukito noted, only that the buildings had been upgraded, making them high skyscapers if they weren't already. They arrived at the Isetan department store. A 20 floor-high building, the Isetan department stores where the oldest of all the Shinjuku district, also one of the finest. The girls chatted idly as they walked by the several stores inside. Yukito and Syaoran where still comparing the old shinjuku from the new one. As for Touya, Keroberos had clung unto him as soon as they were out of the car. Again, not one for useless words, he was staring thoughtfully around the place.

"Is something the matter, 'niichan?" Kero lay in his shoulder, simulating to be a plushie. He knew the word oniichan would elicit a reply from the cardcaptor. The other grunted, "Why do you two talk to me with so much familiarity? Even the chinese creep seems at ease with me, even though I hate his guts? We haven't known each other more than a day."

"Hmm" Kero chose his words carefully, "some things can't be helped. If Syaoran weren't at such an ease with you, the business with the imouto would be a lot more tense. As for us," the guardian looked over at his brother and sighed wistfully, "It's easy for us to be friendly, when we know you are the son of Ren. Sweets also help a lot you know" he winked, "that's why I like your friend Minako a lot."

Touya was uneasy, and Kero could feel it in his aura. "Why are you so jumpy?" He closed his eyes, feeling everything around him, "I don't feel anything out of the ordinary" The hazel eyes of the boy where looking around as if expecting something to happen, "This feels like the calm before the storm" Kero shook his head, and simply said, "paranoid as always."

Before he could get to ask the guardian what he meant, they had caught up with the others, and Keroberos had leapt to the arms of Mina, "Lets go and get something to eat!" he chirped, and the girls giggled. "Tanaka-san and I will go and buy some things, and when we are done, we will meet you here," Sun Rei told them, earning a hot glare from Keroberos, "of course, after we get something to eat." With that, the two of them walked to the food court, leaving the boys in front of a clothing store.

Entering, they headed for the male section of the store. Touya was still uneasy, but neither of the other two would notice, as the older one asked fashion advice from the younger one. "Wait, you are asking for fashion advice?" the question came out of nowhere, and Touya was still a bit confused as why he was asking that. Both Syaoran and Yukito blinked, but the latter just smiled, "I don't know what is fashionable nowadays; what is appropriate or not to buy"

Might have been the perfect answer for anyone else, but Touya felt it was not right. He strayed apart of them, walking around thoughtfully. He approached the cash register and heard a familiar laughter that got him out of his thoughts, "Akihiko-kun, that's so kawaii!"

The laughter he had recognized as Sakura's floated sweetly, as he turned around to see her sister holding the hand of the boy with blonde hair, as they paid for the things they had bought. "Sakura?" he was surprised to find her here, and so more with him, on a male clothing store.

She blinked twice, turning to face her brother, "Touya, why didn't you tell me you where coming here? We could have all come together!" Akihiko saluted from behind, but he didn't acknowledge him, "We just got here" he stated seriously, but she failed to notice it. "Oh, that's too bad, we are just leaving. Akihiko is going to make me a home cooked dinner, so I'm gonna be home later than I thought." The cashier handed them the bags, and they both started walking towards the door, "I'll see you tomorrow, little one!" Akihiko saluted and they both laughed as they exited the store. Touya was fuming, to say the least, so he may have not felt the eerie presence that had entered the store as his sister walked out.

In the dressing rooms, Syaoran was standing patiently waiting for Yukito to finish trying on clothes. "So, what do you think?" he asked to the one who was on the other side of the door. "Fashion is more exuberant...and tight, but overall nice" Yukito replied, with a grunt that the chestnut-haired boy did not care to find out about. "I mean about the captors" luckily for them, the place was empty. The guardian ruffled something inside, "they seem fit, but that's all I can say without imparting any judgement." Syaoran considered the words, and had but one inquiry, "And what about Sakura?"

"That's her alright," Yukito paused, placing a hand on the doorknob, "Kero is sure of it." Syaoran was about to make a snappy comment of Keroberos, more out of habit than real emotion, but he stopped as soon as he felt a wave of magic past him, "Yue?" The moon guardian was struggling with the door, that didn't budge, "I'm locked in! The cards!"

He didn't need to say anything else, for the other was almost on his way out, "I'll go find Touya before it locks me in here too. I'll be back soon," he started to run but a command from behind stopped him, "The lock should be last; there are others inside too." Yukito muttered something unintelligible as he knocked on the door, more out of despair than to try and open it. "Hai" Syaoran acknowledged as he left the trapped guardian.

Touya was returning to where he had left the other two, when a magical signature made him turn around sharply; the door he had just passed closed almost as he had stepped out. He blinked, confusedly, but he didn't had time to consider it before another signature made its presence known and everything around him was instantly frozen. A thick layer of ice covered the place from the floor up to the ceiling, and everything in between was frozen solid, including people; thankfully there were only three people inside. He heard the cries of Li-kun and turned, noticing how the brown eyes of the boy went huge as he stared at something.

"Watch out!" he yelled, and with the momentum he had from running, he slid on the ground to reach Touya as a big ice pike was about to strike the cardcaptor from above. The hazel eyes of the cardcaptor closed instantly, as the chinese grabbed him, and they both slid away from the ice weapon. On the ground, Touya looked up to the ice sprite who floated above them, where the ice pike had been, as it sank into the ice as if it where water.

"Thanks" he acknowledged as a grunt, as he stood, helping the chinese man. "This is now a battle field, you have to be aware of your surroundings; there won't be someone to save you every time" Syaoran scolded, adding, "That's the freeze card." Touya saw the sprite that looked oddly like a fish as it swam around the ice, waiting for them to make the next move. He leaned over to a glass pane that worked as a wall to the inside of the mall, "It's completely frozen! The whole floor is frozen." Syaoran huffed, taking out an ofuda, "It probably froze the whole building."

Touya noticed how the rest of the visible floors from the window where also frozen, "We need help, where's Yue?" The freeze, grown impatient from their hesitation, lunged forward several spikes from the ground around them. Syaoran jumped away, landing on a frozen table, "Locked in by the Lock; well, technically, the lock has us locked in too." He watched as the cardcaptor struggled barely from the ice spikes the sprite was lunging forward, and used the ofuda in his hand to call forth fire magic, throwing it at the spikes that were relentessly attacking Touya. "Well, I am unlocking us!" he took out the star key and headed to the nearest door. "No!" Syaoran jumped towards him, and they slid again on the slippery floor. "The lock difuses magical senses; as long as it is present, we won't be found." For a second there, Touya failed to see the logic behind the affirmation, but then he remembered Sakura, and what would happen if she or anyone with magical senses found them.

On a lower floor, Minako and Sun Rei were just about to leave the food court with a satisfied sun guardian, when everything around them froze immediately, gaining a thick layer of ice. Sun Rei took out her own key immediately as trays and chairs started flying their way. With ease, she slid away from those that came her way, although the same could not be said from the girl who squealed as she barely dodged the frozen trays. Mina stumbled and fell clumsily on the ground, as Kero fluttered near her, "Are you alright, Minako-chan?"

"I'm not the most coordinated person when it comes to physical activities," she said, smiling dopily. The unseen force who was throwing objects at them was focusing on Sun Rei, but the girl used the ice to her advantage to dodge and glide around the ice faster. "Keroberos" she shouted, "this key is not working! I can't get transform it into the staff!"

"How dare you say it doesn't work! You must be doing the incantation wrong!" he shouted back, as Minako stood up groggily. "I am using the correct one! It won't budge!" The guardian beast of the seal recalled the incantation in his mind, using his telepathic powers to reach both of the cardcaptors and let them know the correct chant. "That's the one I am using!" Another yell came forth and Keroberos noted that the girl was being overpowered.

"Change "hides" to "borrows" or it won't work!" He flew up to her, and Minako was slowly making her way towards her. "Huh?" she wondered, her attention pulled from the unseen sprite attacking her to the sun guardian. Kero winced as he saw a big chunk of ice fly up to the cardcaptor's face, but the corresponding scream never came. Looking back, he saw as the chinese girl that laid on the floor was saved by a long whip, that struck the ice and broke the chunk into tiny pieces. "That was cool," he complimented as he turned to see the red-haired clumsy girl with a whip in her hands. Keroberos noticed that her hair was loose all around her, from where she remover her pony tail to call forth the leather whip. Raising an eyebrow he said impressed, "Now that is practical."

As the card spirit focused its attack on the sapphire-eyed girl, she lay still in the ground not moving and defending herself with her whip, Sun Rei tried the incantation again. "Key that borrows the powers of the stars," she noticed the pouncing attack on Minako halted, and the star motiff magic circle appear below her, "show your true form before me, I Li Sun Rei command thee under our contract! Release!" The magic came forth, gorging the key as it transformed into the lime-green staff. For a moment everything went still, and Sun Rei glanced around, expecting the card spirit to attack any moment. Standing, she looked over at the sun guardian, "was that the freeze card?" She walked over to Mina and helped the girl to stand up. Minako was shivering from the low temperature, and leaned over a table. "No," he hovered near them, "it was either the jump or the move."

On the eighteenth floor, Touya and Syaoran were not fairing a lot better. "Snap out of it and start fighting, the card is not going to seal itself!" the chinese young man darted around the room, distracting the freeze sprite. "How the hell am I going to use this thing if I don't know the spell!" Touya used the objects around to push himself and earn momentum, learning how to stay stable on the ice. "Trust the stuffed animal not to do his job properly!" the other shouted, as the freeze went under the ice again, shouting frenzied ice spikes from the floor.

As he was about to snap at the chinese creep, something pulled his attention away enough to hear the sun guardian's voice in his head. He was chanting a spell, and Touya hoped it was the right one. Syaoran noticed as the cardcaptor finally took his key out and stared at it solemnly as he started voicing a familiar chant.

_Key that hides the powers of the stars_

_Show your true form before me_

A chill went town the spine of the chinese man as his vision blurred slightly. His eyes were watering, maybe it was the amount of magic the other was calling forth the key, or the infinitesimal ice splinters that hung around in the air were affecting his eyes; and maybe, just maybe it was the fact that as the magic circle appeared below the cardcaptor, an image came to his mind, of another time and another place, where a woman he had loved deeply casted a very powerful spell, if not her most powerful spell ever casted, and moved mirroring the cardcaptor, or better said, he mirrored her. "Her last spell was..." he muttered to himself as he watched it, understanding her spell as if he had been hearing it.

_I, Touya command thee under our contract_

As he said those words, he felt himself get weak instantly; the pull of energy around him was suffocating, but that was not it. He felt as if he was been smothered by ghosts and felt pulled to the ground. He closed his eyes from the pain and frowned as he felt chunks of ice hit his back, and he fell to his knees. But he couldn't stop, shouldn't stop the spell. This was his only chance. He supported himself with his left hand as he stretched the other to grab the key in the right time.

_Release!_

The shout came as a plea, but the wand transformed itself, and he pushed himself to grab it. As soon as he did, the vision Syaoran had been seeing dispersed itself instantly, and he was out of the trance he had been stuck. He held his head with both of his hands as he considered whatever he had seen meant. He didn't have time to mull over it though, as the freeze spirit, seeing the cardcaptor ready to fight, decided to thrust a really big block of ice to where the other was standing, and he was not going to make it in time.

As the huge block of ice flew towards him, Touya willed himself to fight back. Suddenly, a clear blue shield formed around him stopping the boulder as it fell down. The shield moved furiously around the cardcaptor, as it was pure water commanded. Syaoran wondered for a moment if her sister was around; since she had the Watery card, but as he saw Touya standing, he saw the water recede with a command of the boy's hand. "Seems you are not completely useless" Syaoran commented as casually as he could to enfuriate Touya. In all truth, he hadn't expected the tenth grader to be able to command water at will yet; Sun Rei was able to control fire, but she had recently learned it. And it was harder for them moon-aligned magicians. He made a mental note not to underestimate or patronize the cardcaptor boy...much.

With its attack finally reflected, the freeze went under the ice, swimming in circles around them. "It's a trap" Touya saw that the sprite was ready to attack, just as soon as anyone of them tried to move. "My ofudas aren't strong enough to fight it, and windy won't work against it. If Sun Rei was here though..." Syaoran cursed under his breath; he couldn't find a way out. "Can you change water temperature at will?" Touya asked, as an idea came to mind. "Yeah, but I don't see how..." the other started, but was shushed by the cardcaptor. "I have an idea"

Back at the food court, the girls had managed to get the spirit to show its true form. The pink bunny-like creature jumped around them, using the ice to gain speed. Every time it was directed a fire attack or a whip slash to make it jump in a desired direction, the bunny jumped in the complete opposite direction. Besides, moving around on the icy floor was not making it easy. "Come on girls, the Jump is not that bright! Trick it!" Kero shouted from way above them. Minako was still standing still in one spot, unable to move around without falling. Sun Rei was getting tired of it jumping around, so she decided it was time to attack it directly. So, instead of using the fire to change its direction, she aimed it right at him.

The magnitude of the heat of the attack made the ice below him melt and vapor flew around. The creature jumped high, dodging it easily and landing on the cardcaptor's head. He started bouncing in her head, and she couldn't grab it then. However, now she knew how to trick him, "Tanaka-san, be ready!"

The red-haired girl acknowledged the command with a nod, as the cardcaptor started throwing fireballs randomly. The Jump moved away faster until he noticed the path all around him was full of water vapor. The water vapor released blinded the sprite until it stopped. Once he did, a ring of fire surrounded him, obtruding his sight. Then, all of a sudden, the Watery card came forth and was about to attack it, but he jumped up high. He was finally out of the fire and away from the elemental's reach, but was caught from behind.

"Got him!" Minako announced as the Jump struggled in her whip's grasp. From below, the cardcaptor raised her staff to the air, "Return to the form you were meant to be in, Jump Card!" The spirit became energy, that was drawn into a card above the star wand. Once it was completely sealed, the card floated down to the hands of Sun Rei. Keroberos approached rapidly, "Nice capture, you may be a decent cardcaptor. Now, quickly write your name on the top of the card, and let's find the others." As the girl wrote her name on the card, she couldn't help but wonder, "Why is it not the same incantation as the other?" The guardian beast of the seal sighed, somehow he had hoped that this time around he wouldn't be doing much explaining; he hoped the captors would be more adequate. Unfortunately, that was not the case, "because this key has no power of its own. The other one is pure magical energy given physical form, like myself and the cards. This one," he motioned to her hands as the key glowed from his motions, "is just enchanted; like your brother's sword or Minako's whip. Unlike those weapons, however, it doesn't draw magic from you, but from the actual stars." She seemed to understand the concept, and Keroberos was really grateful she didn't ask anything more.

Taking out an ofuda, Syaoran watched the freeze sprite under them. They only had one shot, and it couldn't go to waste. Timing his movement to that of the spirit below, he released the spell, "Gods of Fire, answer my call!"

The fire spell pierced the ice, hitting the spirit, who relentlessly surfaced in a column of ice. Now, they only had a matter of seconds to attack it before it went back below. Touya conjured a water jet that pushed the Freeze away, and Syaoran ran towards it, raising the water's temperature, until it was boiling. The ice column melted, the card's true form was vulnerable. The boiling water was hurting him now, so he threw icicles towards the chinese man. Syaoran was so concentrated, however, that he didn't manage to dodge them. Running towards the sprite, Touya heard the words of the sun guardian again in his head, and knew that was the spell to seal the card. "Return to the form you were meant to be in, Freeze card!"

The sheer force and speed of the icicles rocketed Syaoran through the outside window, and Touya shouted, as the card was being sealed, "Dammit!"

"There, the name is written," Sun Rei smiled as she admired her first card. They noticed as the magical ice around them started to disappear, undoing the spell. "Wai! 'nicchan managed to capture the freeze card" Kero flipped around in the air. Minako giggled, as she pulled her hair back into its ponytail, but was exalted when she saw something rush past her window, "Li-kun!"

Sun Rei snapped out of her happiness induced daze at the name of her brother. She saw Tanaka-san leaning over the window, yelling. Keroberos zipped up to her, "Quickly, use the jump!" Not needing to be told twice, Sun Rei threw the card in the air and tapped it hardly, "Help me save my brother, Jump!" Small wings appeared at her feet, and she sailed past Minako to jump out of the window. However, it was not necessary, as once she leaned over, she saw her brother jumping back up rapidly. "Huh?" she nearly fainted from the scare she had been given.

"The Jump helped you save your brother," the sun guardian explained, but she was in too much of a shock to understand. "The command, you said to help you save your brother, and so it did. The card can affect more than one person at a given time." Jumping to the open window, Syaoran landed quickly inside, and stumbled to the floor. "I actually got scared for a moment there" he wiped away sweat from his foreheaded.

Touya was about to command Windy to save the chinese creep, when a huge bird flew up to the broken window, flapping its wings violently. The force blasted him against a nearby wall. Twisting from the pain on his back, he reached into his pocket for a card. He was going to use the newly captured freeze, but the bird backed away, flying off. Quickly, called forth, "Bind the restless bird, Windy!" The card spun in its axis as he tapped it with the staff, and a feathered woman with long hair blew past towards the escaping bird. The ice was dispelling faster by the seconds, and it was just a matter of time before people started coming out of the magical daze and frostbite. The Windy captured the bird, who fought against the hold, and brought it back to the building. "Return to the form you were meant to be in, Sakura Card!"

"I'm glad you are safe Li-kun," Minako helped him stand up. "I think that's all of them, you can dispell the lock now Sun Rei," Syaoran wobbled against Minako, his legs still weren't helping him much, "It's been some time since I've fought like this. I'm definitely getting rusty!

Keroberos couldn't help but laugh at the chinese's exclamation. The girl cardcaptor was relieved to see her brother fine, and headed towards the nearest door, "So, I assume this lock needs to be open with the key?" she asked, but didn't wait for an answer as she pushed the key into the hole. A psychokinetic attack pushed her back strongly, but it was too late, the key was already in. The lock spirit came out of the keyhole, and flew past right them to another door to lock itself. The blast sent both Mina and Syaoran to the floor, "Damn Sun Rei, you could have warned us! Catch it before it enters another lock!"

Going back for her key, she quickly turned it into the wand, "Halt the lock's attempt to enter another door, Watery!" The blue water spirit smirked as she rushed to block the door the lock was aiming to enter with a wall of water. Being there not many doors nearby, the lock turned back to the other possible door, but Sun Rei was standing in front of it, "You are as good as caught," Sun Rei announced as she captured the mischievous lock.

As the bird spirit turned into its card form, Touya felt a sudden push of energies all around him. In a second, all those auras that were diffused by the lock, came rushing back, and the impact of sensing them all together made him dizzy. The wand returned to its key form, as he dawdled to the floor, the headache too big to stand. After a few seconds, he passed out from the pain.

"See, you should have warned us!" Syaoran reclaimed, clutching his head. He was leaning against a wall, Minako sitting next to him, passed out from the magical whiplash the lock caused on them all. Grabbing the chinese cardcaptor by the scruff of the neck, Keroberos flew up to the other two. He let her down gently next to her brother, as she barely had the energy to walk. "Pansies," the guardian beast of the seal muttered as he lowered himself to lie on the red-haired girl's lap, "Let's stay here until everyone starts waking up, we don't want to seem suspicious."

The chinese boy was about to complain again, when Sun Rei leaned into his shoulder, "Syaoran, I captured two cards," she smiled slowly, as she fell asleep. He sighed, resigned to stay there until everything was back to normal.

Minutes passed, or hours, he wasn't really aware of time. He was in such a deep sleep, he was aware of himself, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't move. He felt odd to say the least, trying to recall whatever he had been doing only to forget it as soon as it entered his conscious mind. He tried following many trains of thought, but only three words came back to him. Card, Keroberos and Yue. Keroberos, Card, Yue; Yue, Card, Sakura.

'Wow, when did Sakura enter the equation?' he thought as he felt himself shift completely and many voices started talking to him.

"How dare you do this to me?" one cried angrily at him. "Onii-chan, you are being unreasonable" a delicate one reasoned. "You are not to participate in this fight, you won't be that much of a help. You have been asked to take care of the child" another one ordered, as if it had the right. "I resent you, long time since. It doesn't matter why are you doing this now, but my family will respect your wishes. Both of them have become part of it, and I will see to it personally, that you won't hurt them again. Farewell" the last one was the clearest of them all, and he thought he recognized it.

From sad, to unyielding, to angry, his emotions shifted around him rapidly. More and more voices haunted him now, and he couldn't discern one from the other. The pain, the hurt, the uneasiness, they all attacked him, his guilt being the one that punished him the most. Not standing another second of this, he willed himself against it all, "This was my choice!"

He didn't know what pushed him to say that, but all the voices quieted down immediately. A lone one, the first one he heard, whispered before he woke up, "Then you must assume the consequences, and the hurt you have caused." Startled, he felt himself awake again. Feeling a huge migraine, he stared around him slowly. There was someone holding him to a sitting position, "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"Yu...Yue..." he stammered, his voice rasp from the migraine. The guardian looked at him expectantly...or worriedly, actually, "terrible, I'm terrible. What happened?" the ice around was completely dispelled, and people were starting to wake up from their frozen dreams. "Shh, try not to talk so loud and lay still," Yukito admonished, leaning the other to a nearby wall, "Once people were able to enter the building, the place was flooded with paramedics and firemen trying to save everyone. But some had already woken and seemed fine, so they are defrosting those who still are. Better lay low and not seem suspicious."

Touya groaned and looked around, "Mina...where's Mina? She could be hurt" he stood, and dawdled as he fell back against the wall. "I told you to stay still!" Yukito said in a harder tone, and pushed the boy to sit back down. "They are all fine, but if it makes you feel any better, I'll go find them. Stay here." With that the moon guardian headed out the store. Touya leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. His head still hurt, but it was bearable; he could now discern the energies around him just fine. The memories of the dream came back to him, and made him nauseous, but it was gone in a second as a quick aura brushed past his senses. It was a very familiar aura, but not quite. As he opened his eyes, though, he was startled by the person kneeling in front of him. "Sakura!"

She had thatworried look on her face; the one that always made his skin crawl. Grabbing him in a hurried hug, she spoke quickly, "Touya! I was so worried! Are you alright? You don't look alright, where are you hurt?" She squeezed him even more, getting the air out of his lungs. He gasped for the lack of air, and saw a hand being placed softly in her sister's shoulder. "Sakura, I think you need to let him go, or he won't be able to answer" No matter how soft that command was, it still was a command. No one is allowed to order his sister around, and expect to be all fine and dandy when Touya was around. Looking up, he stared right into the soft blue eyes of that wretched blonde prick, better known as 'he-who-bothers-him'the-most-Kanatsuki'. Soft but unyielding, those eyes never faltered under Touya's hard glare.

The brown-haired boy frowned; everyone who received his glares either looked away or stood back. So far, Kanatsuki had done neither, and seemed unfazed by it all. He was about to turn his glare up a notch, when the motion of Sakura leaving the embrace, made him focus on her rather than the other. Damn, he had never looked away from glaring at others before; the prick was going to pay hell for this one day. "We were trapped on the elevator, but thankfully the ice didn't affect us. I was so worried about you! Tell me, where you affected by it?" She asked, taking him out of certain tortous thoughts on a certain someone. He wanted her to know he was strong enough to avoid the ice spell; he didn't want that guy to think him weak. But if he told her that, then she would ask harder questions. He braced himself, he was about to lie to her sister for the first time. "Yes, I was frozen," he muttered lowly, but she heard him. Whether Kanatsuki heard him or not, he had no idea.

She helped him stand, and he leaned against her, "Where's Minako-chan?" she asked worriedly. He wondered that himself, but Yue should be with the others by now, "I don't know, but she shouldn't be far from here." Against all hope, he wanted her to leave it at that. Against all odds, she did; but the other one didn't. "Let's go find them, then. They could be hurt," Kanatsuki offered, and Sakura was quick to nod her agreement. 'Shit!' he swore mentally, looking for a way out. Who knows in what state would the others be, and he was not willing to risk them. Swallowing hard, he stopped them as they were about to go searching, "Wait! Weren't you guys in a hurry or something? I thought you had a dinner to go to..." He hated it; He hated it as he said it, and he hated it as it was remembered. He was practically throwing Sakura back into his arms, but there were some things more important right now. Surely it wouldn't make that much of a difference, would it?

Akihiko was surprised to say the least, and Sakura seemed thoughtful; she was actually considering it. Sighing, she asked doubtfully, "but what about the others?" All he needed now was the right answer, and she would believe him. But damn, that answer was not coming to him. "I'll," he started, unsure of how to continue, "search for them; they ought to be fine, Sakura. I'm fine already; don't worry." Sakura knew better than to push Touya when he said he was 'fine'. It usually meant he wasn't but she knew she had lost the battle the moment he said those words; he wouldn't accept any help from anyone. Taking Akihiko's hand, she let the matter go, "Fine then, I guess we should get going. But I'm calling dad!" she retorted but he only shrugged. His dad wasn't an issue.

Brushing his free hand through his hair, Akihiko looked at him, "Be careful you don't fall, little one. See ya!" he turned around, waving his hand as he did. Sakura gave him a peck on the cheek before turning and leaving with the other. After he was sure they were out of the store, he opened one window and leaned outside, inhaling the fresh air, and venting his frustration with a scream. Once he was done, he composed himself, and headed outside to look for the others.

Back at school, a woman watched intently an urgent news report. A man sat on a big chair, fidgeting with his tie, listening with eyes closed, as the woman leaned behind his chair, running her fingers through his hair delicately. "So far, there are no injuries reported from the catastrophe on the Isetan Department Stores. The police and the firemen haven't been able to determine the cause of the mysterious ice that covered the entire building, and the nearby streets. Experts theorize, however, that the cause was supernatural; once they find-" the voice shut down as the monitor was turned off. She left her place behind his chair, sitting on the couch in front of him, "I'm worried about him" she finally said.

"I don't know why, you were expecting today's events," he answered nonchalantly, but he didn't open his eyes. She knew he wasn't going to open them and show her how he really felt. Sighing, she tied her hair tightly, "I expect many things to happen; that doesn't mean I don't worry. Besides..." she trailed off as she stared out the window, to the tower in front. "Besides...?" he now asked, curiously opening his eyes.

"I don't think its right. If he had been meant to open the book, Iwould have seen it."

"You are very powerful, but you cannot know everything, my dear. You can only control so much of what you can see, you know that."

"He is my son, Ren; I should have known, Ishould have foreseen it. He would be better prepared, he wouldn't be-"

"Stop it, Amaya. This game of guilt won't take you anywhere. We did what we could, and even if it is out of our hands, there's nothing we can do about it now. It was...inevitable; remember, no coincidences?"

She was thoughtful for a while. He used to say that phrase so much, she knew it by heart; but today, that phrase was incomplete somehow. "It was inevitable, no coincidences...unless...?"

He simply stared as she uttered the last few words; she had that far off look on her eyes that meant that she was using her Sight. He knew that paradigm so well; he knew it to be true. But today, it felt empty, "Unless?"

"It was changed, but that cannot be, can it?" she asked, but he was fairly certain she wasn't expecting an answer. He groaned, shuffling some papers on his desk. He hated that particular way she talked when she wanted to know something and couldn't; it was an awful habit for someone who was used to talk straight and to the point. It made her behave completely unlike her; he knew it was a mnemonic tool. But he hadn't met anyone, yet, who used it; in fact, he had only known two others who did. But they were already dead. He stood quickly, angered by his own treacherous thoughts, leaving the office at once. Now outside, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "want to blame anyone? Blame him...It's his fault after all..."

Tiredly the group walked back to the car, with nothing bought, and without avoiding an hour of signing papers or answering questions. The girls walked with Touya up front. "So, Sakura was trapped inside too? Wow, that was close, then. I'm glad the Lock was one of the cards attacking" Minako smiled, but it was not a quite happy smile. "Yeah, I had to convince her out of her looking for you guys. After all, I did not know how you were all faring."

"We were fine, up to the sealing of the lock, that is," Sun Rei said, a little ashamed for the problems that sealing had caused. "What did you tell her for her to actually leave? And what was she doing in there, anyways?"

He clenched his fist, containing his anger, "She was shopping with Kanatsuki, and they were going to his house for a home-cooked meal. Yeah right, like I'm going to believe that! _" _The two girls looked at each other, and gave him a sympathetic look, "You know," Minako started, " boyfriends are the only ones who invite women to home-cooked meals..." He stared at her with disbelief, somehow thatparticular thought hadn't entered his mind. "And men," Sun Rei quickly added looking back at her brother, behind them, "only go clothing shopping with their girlfriends...and their mothers; certainly not with anyone else." He cursed, this time aloud enough so the girls heard him, and kept on cursing as they walked; both of them couldn't help but laugh.

Not far behind them, Syaoran walked slowly, so he could be far enough so they wouldn't hear his talk with the guardians, but close enough so they wouldn't worry. "I didn't expect the cards to attack such a public place, and on broad daylight." Keroberos was uncharacteristically quiet, and Yukito was lost in thought. "Not only that," he continued, noticing the guardians were not going to reply, "but they locked Yue, as if they expected him to help out. I mean, back then, they used to atack Keroberos without mercy; but they never dared to disturb Yukito."

Keroberos was the first one to speak, and it was still very soft, "I didn't feel their presence until they attacked, which was also very odd. I should have been able to feel them if they were near, even if they didn't attack." Syaoran tilted his head questioningly, "Yue felt them, and you didn't? I think you are slipping, oh Mighty Guardian Beast of the Seal! Or perhaps, you are getting...old?" he poked the guardian on the belly, earning a squeal from the plushie.

He was not old, he was definitely not old! He was in the prime of his life, and no one was better than him! Well, maybe except Sakura, and Yue was the only one he accepted on par to him. But...it was the second time in the space of two days that someone dared to say he had been wrong. And for the first time in his life, Cerberus Guardian Beast of the Seal was considering that possibility.

"They won't try it again" it was Yukito who spoke this time, "they won't attack in public again if I'm around; that's why they locked me in. I won't allow it," his tone was severe, but Syaoran wasn't so sure of that affirmation. After all, the cards were quite mischievous when unsealed. Somehow, he doubted Yue could order them around until they were captured.

"Cerberus" Syaoran called the sun guardian by his proper name, which only happened when he decided to be The Li. The Li, as in the clan head and the commanding one, not Syaoran the somehow-accepting chinese gaki. He had only seen The Li a couple of times in his long life, but he knew to be wary of that frame of mind. "Hai," Kero acknowledged, feeling a tad anxious. Yukito was staring intently at them, waiting for the chinese man to continue. "Do you know the last spell _she _casted?"

Great, The Li liked being cryptic; somehow he hadn't noticed that before. By she, he meant the mistress; but he was not quite sure whatever he meant by _the last spell..._

"Umm," he said for the lack of a better word to phrase his thoughts, "last spell? How should I know, she casted sooooo many spells..." he looked at Yukito for any clue or help, but the other guardian seemed actually confused at what Syaoran actually meant. So, he tried his luck, "wouldn't her last spell be the one where she sealed the book...?"

Syaoran frowned, so that was not the answer he was looking for. "The spell...as in THE Spells" he replied, with an edge on his voice. Slowly, Kero flew nearer Yukito. He knew better than to ask another question, when he noticed the way he said the word 'the'. He could only mean THE most powerful spells she ever casted; and from those there were only quite a few, since they were really dangerous. But _he_ was there every time she casted those. Understanding had also dawned on Yukito, but he was looking at the group in front of them. After all, The Li wasn't talking to him; if it was the other way around, Kero knew he would also be avoiding the conversation.

"It was," his throat closed on him as he remembered, he was not used to talk about that period of time, "the one that ended _the war_..." and that was all The Li would ever get out of him. He had openly refused to talk about it, and Syaoran knew it very well. And if he wanted to ask more, he **would **be hearing Keroberos swear. And no one sane wanted to hear _that._

But, after a few seconds of thought, the other only replied, "That's what I thought." And with that, The Li was gone. Even the expression of his eyes softened when his sister looked back at them. Walking faster he soon joined the other teens, leaving the two guardians behind.

"He's scary" Kero couldn't find a better way to say it. Yukito nodded slowly, adding, "He reminds me more of Clow than Eriol ever did when he is like that." Keroberos landed on the moon guardian's shoulder, "As always you are a great help!" his tone was sarcastic and weighed, but Yukito just shrugged it off, "Since when do _you _need my help?"

Kero noticed how they had been practically at each other's throats since they were unsealed; Yue used to defend himself and tease, but ever since he merged with Yukito he had been warm about it. Now, it seemed he was turning back to the old ways, and that was worrying. It was almost as he didn't quite know how to act around them anymore; either warm and friendly or cold and distant. Always on the extremes, never a middle point.

He was soon taken out of his own mental ramblings when they entered the car and left the mall. They picked up Ren and Amaya on the way home, and dropped of the Lis at their apartment. His mother was rather quiet, and his father was really chatty. A weird contrast, to say the least, but no one else seemed to notice it but Touya. Keroberos recounted the story of the captures with such enthusiasm, that Touya couldn't help but chuckle. He even recounted Touya's story, even though he hadn't been there. Yukito stayed at the margin of it all, and only nodded or denied when asked of something.

It was now late, and everyone had gone to bed. Yukito stayed up reading on the living room, when he felt a warm aura approach the house. Standing, he headed to the door before the person tried to open it. "Hello, Sakura-chan"

Sakura seemed a bit flushed, but saluted happily, "Yukito-san! Good evening," she hastily entered, and the moon guardian closed the door. "I got carried away, and didn't notice the hour until now," she said somehow explaining herself to him, even if though it wasn't necessary. He smiled sweetly, "It is rather late," he admonished softly, and she had the grace to look away, "but I don't think your parents will mind if I tell them you were here a tad earlier..."

She hugged him gratefully, "Thank you!" she was about to walk away, but recalled something. "What" she started, turning and gazed at him with the same spark in her eyes she had in the morning, "really happened at the mall?"

She really was expecting him to answer the question, but he couldn't. So, he lied through his teeth, "I don't know, everything was fine in one moment, and then ice started surrounding us. I don't know what happened afterwards. I woke up feeling numb, and the paramedics said I was frozen." After all, she couldn't know he had magic; his aura alone prevented her from knowing. So, it was better to claim ignorance.

She looked at him, disappointed; Yukito felt as if he was a mere child and he had failed a test. But she just couldn't know. Turning, she muttered very low to herself, "Oh what a tangled web we weave..." He didn't quite hear what she said entirely, just a few words, but his reply was automatic, "...when we first practice to deceive."

She turned her head back, keeping her back to him. She grinned at him, as if she was expecting him to answer. Oh no, he thought to himself, how had she fooled him like that? If she knew anything, then now she had just proven it. And if she didn't, then he had just given her a very big clue. Words are very powerful tools if known how to be used, she often said to him, long time ago. "I won't stop this charade of yours," she finally spoke after what the guardian thought to be hours, "but that was really close; you were almost found. If you are going to deceive, then I expect it at least to be done right. Or this all might as well be for nothing."

He was at a loss for words; she had it all figured it out. Well, maybe she did, maybe she didn't, but he was not about to let her know anymore, "Point taken." He yawned, and walked past her, finishing the conversation, "Good night, Sakura." He didn't stay long enough to hear her reply, nor did he want to. He needed to think things through; she knew why he was here. That stopped him cold, because if she knew, that meant...

No, she had him figured out, at least; she couldn't know why, though. Whether she knew more or not, he did not know. But if she knew about him, that also meant she knew about the Lis. And that made his job harder. He had the feeling he was not going to sleep much tonight.

He could not fail; whether they knew it or not, they all depended on him now.

* * *

_A/N: Prepare for the long notes of a bored author!_

_1. Before someone tells me Keroberos doesn't have the mental capacity to be a programmer, or even to do math, let me tell you something: I dont care. This little thingy is just so Touya and Kero bond. And I can picture keroberos being all technical alnd stuff._

_2. The Isetan department stores arent 20 stories high. But I guess they can be in 200 years, or even higher XD_

_3. Mnemonic is a tool that aids people remember things, associating them with easily remembered words. In this case, Amaya is playing with the words, hoping to see something she may have missed or trying to force her powers to look for more._

_Well, now that I have explained some things, here goes the rant. Half of this chapter was written with chapter 6, but I got frustrated with the wording. There are so many play of words in here, that I didn't notice it until the very end. So, I really, really like this chapter and how it turned out. Hopefully we will get more of Sakura in the next chapter. I just couldn't add her if the gang was to be cardcapturing. Originally there were going to be 5 cards captured, but I just couldn't fit the fifth one._

_Card progress: 46/53 free cards_

_I have the feeling this story will be utterly long XD_

_**On updates: **I am now taking 6 classes in this trimester. Its crazy as hell, thats why the updates have been so scarce. I don't expect to update this in at least a month. And believe me when I tell you, its killing me. I say a month, because I want to write a new chapter for Broken Toy; I was doing one chapter of this and one chapter of that one alternately, but I've updated this twice more than that one. So, if you are reading Broken Toy, then you can look forward to a new chapter in a few weeks. Funny how that story is my most read story overall, and this one has the most reviews, and not half the same amount of reads._

_Well, that's all for this update! Remember, Remember! Authors love reviews! _**  
**


	8. Parallel Lines

**Disclaimer: Most of these characters are property of CLAMP. Original characters are mine and the story.**

_Posted on March 19, 2008 _

_Hello there! Remember me? Probably not, I changed my screename. I won't even apologize for how long this took. There's no excuse, and you should disregard any promises I make on posting faster. Which, in time will reduce my bad karma for making promises and not abiding to them. _

_Ehem! Well, to summarize what has happened until now in the story, because you probably need to be reminded: Touya is the cardcaptor, Sakura knows something, Yukito is hiding something, and Kero likes pudding. I think that pretty much wraps it all up nicely. I also changed the format of the story a bit: I will refer as 'volume' to one story arc. Sounds cooler XD_

_Even though I had planned to make this a school chapter, the first volume needed closing. And so, I now present..._

* * *

_** Card Captor Legacy**_

**_By Vicks111_**

**Volume I: Himitsu**

_Chapter 8: Parallel Lines_

The blossoms...all around him, it was full of peach blossoms...at least, that's what he thought they were. He was surrounded by darkness and felt the sudden urge to verify they were real peach blossoms, but he couldn't get a hold of them. They fell all around him, taunting him, increasing the doubt in his heart. He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder, and the scenery changed abruptly with a blinding light.

"What are you doing?" a voice from behind asked, and he couldn't help but smile. _He_ was oblivious of what he really was doing out there. 

"Watching. It's spring and the cherries are blossoming..." he answered back, vaguely noticing how easy it had become to hide the truth from his own words.

"But those aren't cherry blossoms, they are peach blossoms"

"And how can you tell? We aren't that close enough to them"

"I think I can differentiate between the two of them, even at this distance..."

"I do not doubt you can..." he couldn't help the tone he gave to his reply, and grinned to himself.

"... there's that," the other answered knowingly, coming forwards, "but you look at them differently. They are your favorite flowers, yet you always look at them with sadness. The cherry blossoms lift your spirits, and the peach blossoms make you sad. Why is that?"

"Because," he paused, and looked at his companion, who seemed not as oblivious as he had believed, "sometimes I can't tell the difference. They blossom in spring, and they look almost the same, everybody confuses them."

"Is that really whats bothering you?" the other replied slowly. His silver long hair floated in the direction with the wind, and his amethyst eyes glinted in the twilight, "Does it really matter? They both are beautiful."

"As long as you can tell, I don't care if everybody confuses them."

"I'm glad you said that," the sleek hands grabbed his shirt and lead him back to where he had come from, "I'll take you to see peach blossoms tomorrow. Only peach blossoms, just for you."

And he awoke. He was sweating profusely, the magic he had used in his sleep had tired him, even though he was resting. He groaned as he sat on the bed. He really hated having visions in his sleep; cross that, he hated them, simply hated them. He didn't like them when he was meditating, and he didn't like them when they came as premonitions. He didn't like them when he touched certain items around his house; he just didn't like _seeing_ them at all.

He understood why it happened; the technicalities were etched in his mind. It was natural on him, on seers, to be finely tuned to the change in energy patterns. These patterns, once they changed around them, left a small cleft were they had been. And through those holes in the fabric of reality, he could see what others could not, even if it only lasted a few seconds. The future, the past, things he wasn't meant to know. And he hated it, he didn't quite know how his mother or Minako could stand it.

His mother, who was so powerful, she liked them. She liked to know them, and she could control them. Mina, she was just in for the rush of power, because she couldn't control them, she forced them around her; more than once he wondered if she did it consciously or not. But he, Touya noted, couldn't control them and didn't force them. He was positively sure he wasn't forcing them, and yet, as of late, it seemed as they were haunting him.

He had to do something, he had to focus his energy into something, _anything _would do. The more magic he felt, the more he was prone to see visions he hadn't asked for. Standing, he reached out his senses around the house: it was empty, for the exception of Keroberos, who seemed to be fluttering around somewhere. But with his ability to repel senses, he wasn't really sure where the guardian was.

It didn't really matter: he had the house to himself, and that was great. He smiled at the prospect as he dressed up. He would work on the good luck charm he was planning to give to his father for a birthday present. This year's charm would be more powerful than the last. But that would have to wait until sunset. In the meantime, he was going to enjoy playing the piano in the living room. He hadn't played for himself in a while, it usually was either practicing a choir song, or on a piano recital; yet, he hadn't sat down and just play because he felt like it. Today was a good day,he was feeling great.

oOo

Today was a good day; no, it was a great day. The weather had cleared up, and spring was finally setting in. He looked at his pocket pc's calendar, and figured why he felt great: just three days for a full moon. The days of full moon brought on a lot of nature magic, especially the kind he was sensitive to. Perfect time for casting spells.

He was driving now, heading back from the Tanaka girl's house. His sister was insistent to spend the weekend with her new classmate, which clearly surprised him, because she was not one to make friends easily. She was so proud, the Li clan heir, and no one was good enough to be her friend; at least, that way had been in China. Tanaka-san was special enough to get her attention. Either that or she really felt like she was missing out on having friends. Moving out from home must have made her feel lonely.

Still, making him drive to the outskirts of the city was just too much. He had just picked up the new car their mother had gotten for them, though, so it balanced out in the end. What surprised him, and shouldn't have, was that Tanaka-san actually lived in a Shinto Shrine. Everyone in that school had a respectable magical background, but he did find it interesting. A red headed shrine maiden, with no siblings, and best friends of Kinomoto. If he didn't know better, he would say it was just a coincidence.

Kinomoto.

Damn, he'd lied to them all when they met. He told them he could remember everything, when remembering _everything _was nigh impossible. He remembered what mattered, though, and that was enough. Small details, and unimportant things were gone, but he didn't miss them. But, he could remember _him _well enough to know him. He was the same in every way, maybe not as tall, and the eyes were different.

Another thing that was different was his level of magic. The old Kinomoto wasn't near as strong as this one, untrained in magic as he had been. Not even after he was no longer supporting Yue. His powers had boosted afterwards, because of the usage given. But it wasn't as significant as today. Sure, this Kinomoto had grown up using his powers to their full extent, trained to use them adequately. The more magic used, the stronger the magician gets, it had been like that always. He was a conundrum as it was.

But the biggest puzzle had to be Sakura. The reincarnation of the cardmistress, as Keroberos assured them. She was the mirror image of the cardmistress, from the way she acted, to her aura. And yet, she is not as strong as she once had been. How could she possibly lose her powers? Only one stronger than her could try and split her powers, like she had done with Clow's reincarnation. It just didn't make any sense.

It was too bizarre: Sakura, _technically _weaker than him. Still, she made it up with her knowledge. She was taking the most difficult magical classes on school, college level classes. Syaoran himself was only taking two of those, and she was taking the four of them at once. And from what he remembered, Sakura was not one of the best students when it came to theoretical classes.

Not even that vision he had seen made sense: casting a powerful and dangerous spell, with no one to guard her, no one that even knew she had done it. Alone, she had done such a thing all by herself; a kind of spell that could kill her. And she had hidden it from them all.

Somehow he was glad he saw it, once upon a time he wouldn't have been ableto. The elders had insisted the old clan head didn't need to train his foresight abilities, even though they were natural to him. They had forced him to train on offensive magic, and made a warrior out of him, dwarfing every other natural magical ability he possessed. Of course, they were just worried that if given the opportunity to practice those abilities, he could have become too powerful, and lose control of his powers; it was a possibility, and above all, there should always be balance in one's self. It had been a lifetime ago, but maybe if he had trained thus instincts, he could have…

He shook his head, it didn't really matter anymore. In one way or another, he liked being able to have visions, they felt…right. However, whatever he was going to do about that last one…

He needed to talk to Keroberos; maybe he _did _know something that Li didn't. Yue would have been a better bet, but if she had casted a spell no one knew about, the moon guardian wouldn't have allowed her. Keroberos was her sidekick, and if someone knew her darkest secrets, it had to be the sun guardian.

He just hoped no one was at the Kinomoto household; no one except Kero and the cardcaptor. As kind as they had been, he didn't know Kinomoto-sama and Kinomoto-sensei. The principal was a spectator, but he didn't know why. The teacher knew too much as it was, but besides from taking Yue into her home, she didn't seem to be interfering either. They both had stayed in neutral grounds towards the whole deal. And that unnerved him.

oOo

It unnerved him to no end; none of Sakura's friends had done that to him as Li. Kanatsuki, well, he was just wrong with her, and he had the knack to really bother him, but it was Li Syaoran the one that really made his skin crawl. The one he really wanted to maim if he so even thought about his onee-san. And yet, it was Li the one he could stand, barely. Kanatsuki Akihiko just had that something that spelled _trouble._He was the one that defied him on a personal level. No one had done so before.

Since when did his life turn out to be so complicated? A couple of months ago, his biggest concerns where his classes. Not young men after his onee-san, not magical discrepancies that he was _forced_to solve. It all started since he opened that damn book. But he just couldn't help it, he had to go there, he had to see for himself. In hindsight, maybe he just should have listened to Mina, or his Dad when he banned the entrance. Now that he really thought about it though, his parents where quite at ease with the whole situation, never mind he was risking his life every time he fought one of those cards. And yet there was something that bothered him about the whole situation…was it something the guardians had said, or was it something else?

He knew he had missed something along the way, and he just couldn't place his finger on what it was. It was a whole tangled mess, and he was forced to clean it all up. But in the end, he liked it; he was actually looking forward to capturing more cards.

After having some late breakfast, Touya did his homework hastily. Not that it was much, but he was having a hard time concentrating. It did take him more than it should, and by noon he had finally finished.

The house was still and quiet when he headed to the living room, where the piano keyboard stood in front of the window. He sat on the stool, a simple smile appearing on his face as he placed his fingers on the marble keys. Unfortunately for him, his cellphone rang in that moment. Sighing, he answered, "Moshi moshi"

"Nee, Touya you wouldn't believe who came to visit me!" Minako was excited on the other end of the line, "I was wondering if you'd like to come by the temple, it's been so long."

"Mina, going all the way to your house is such a drag. I'm going to enjoy a quiet Saturday afternoon, thank you very much."

"Oh, but Li-chan is here! We could have a picnic by the lagoon or tell ghost stories!"

"No, I've had my quota of you two for the week."

"It's not my fault we are your only friends!" Mina mocked an indignant tone, but she laughed out loud.

"I'll have you know that I do have more friends than only the two of you. In fact, if you recall..."

"Yeah, anyways," she interrupted him, changing the subject, "how can you waste such a day? It's beautiful outside; spring has finally showed us some nice climate.".

Indeed, it was the first clear day in a whole week, but he just didn't feel like spending the day outside. Shrugging, he continued, "I'm not going to waste it, I'll play the piano and on the evening I'm going to work on a charm."

The one on the other line was silent for a few more seconds than was necessary. With a complete change on her merry tone, he almost didn't hear her, "You didn't tell me you had to practice for a show."

"Huh? Show? No, I'm not practicing anything specific. I'm just going to play, for the sake of playing. You know I do like to do that every now and then, do you?"

"Yes, I know, but..." she paused, not sure how to say what she wanted to say, "You are alone in the house, aren't you?"

"And what has that got to do with anything?"

"Then I want you to come to my by! I don't want you playing when I'm not around!" He backed away from the phone, as she almost yelled. "What is so wrong about playing the piano without anyone, especially you, bothering me?"he replied annoyed, not liking the tone she had taken. What he wasn't really aware of, was how often they fought like that. She would tell him not to do something, and he would yell at her for doing so. If you ask me, they had a cute thing going on. 

"It's not good! Whenever you do that..."

"Shh!" he interrupted her, ducking from the window view. She shut up immediately, her demanding tone changing to a worried one in one second, "what happened?" From outside the window, he could see a car park in front of the house's gates. But that wasn't what made him duck, no, it had been the man that walked to the gate and touched the gate's intercom. A ringing bell could be heard throughout the house, and a voice could be heard all the way from the intercom on the front door, "Hello"

"It's Li, and I don't want to see him" he explained as he didn't doubt that the ringing bell had been heard by his friend. She sighed in relief, "That's it? Why?"

"It's a good day!" Touya knew his day would be spoiled if he spoke with that Chinese boy, "besides, there's no one here, I don't need to open to him"

"You realize that he might..."

"Kinomoto, I know you are there, open up," came the voice from the intercom at the same time as Mina's reply continued, "...feel your aura inside of the house, right? The distance from the gates to the living room isn't that great."

"I don't have to open to him if I don't want to!" he said more to himself from the floor. But as he was about to find out, his day was not going to be as great as he thought. Keroberos had heard the ring bell, and came out from wherever he might have been, staring at the image of Li on the intercom, "Wai! Syaoran came to visit!" Touya didn't quite know how, but the guardian beast managed to work the intercom quick enough to open the front gates. Swearing out loud, he walked up to Kero, "The hell? I didn't want to see him!"

"Why?" the sun guardian looked puzzled, somehow the fact that some persons where best to be ignored didn't quite register to him. Touya gave up on trying to explain himself to others, and opened the door before the other one knocked. However, as he was about to curtly dismiss the Chinese boy, Keroberos jumped in front of him. "Syaoran," he said seriously, "you come to my house, you know what that implies."

"Of course," the other replied, just as serious, "I just brought this bag of assorted sweets, which you probably are not acquainted with."

"You are welcome to my home, then. Come in"

They both ignored him as they walked back inside. How could they possibly do so in front of him? In his own home? He stood for a few seconds taking everything in, then counting to ten and backwards, before storming back inside to holler at them. "Okay, are you doing this on purpose? I hate you," Touya said, pointing his finger at Li, "and you," he continued, now pointing at Keroberos, "this is my home, not yours. You don't let people hang around my house only because he brought you a present. Got it clear, plushie?"

"This has been my home since before you were born, onii-chan" Kero said in a deadpan tone.

"What?" Now Touya was the one puzzled. However, his question was ignored as the sun guardian turned to their visitor, "What do you require?"

"I need to speak with him, there's something I need to find out."

Keroberos thought about it for a few seconds, "Fine", he agreed, and taking the bag in Li's hands, he fluttered away, leaving the two boys behind. The Chinese student started walking, and that brought Touya out of his reverie. "Where are you going?" he asked, but the other's reply was not what he expected, "To the backyard."

The backyard was bigger than the front yard, with grown peach trees that were starting to bloom. There were several beds of cultivated Nadeshiko flowers, with a sidewalk that gave the illusion of it being a small park rather than a backyard. Li walked swiftly to the very back, near the trees, standing on a muddy patch of soil. He had taken out his sword by the time Touya caught up to him.

"What do you think you are doing strolling around my house like that?" he practically yelled, but the other one ignored him again. Instead, Li started making a path on the ground with his weapon. Touya decided it was time to make himself heard once and for all, but as soon as he walked up in front of the other, he stopped abruptly, an idea forming in his mind. "What are you planning..." he stopped mid-sentence as he noticed he was now standing in the center of the square the other one had marked."Stand still; I need the path to ground the compass in this dimension." As soon as he said those words, Li raised his sword towards Touya, with the blade horizontal to the ground and started chanting with his eyes closed.

_Jade emperor enquires_

_please answer, four gods..._

_metal,wood, water, fire, earth_

_lightning, wind, please answer.._.

He then twisted his hand, the blade turning now vertically, as he continued the spell. Slowly, below Touya's feet, several Chinese symbols had started forming, one right after the other. The first square had been formed along the lines in the ground, giving form to what Li had failed to explain before.

_Jade emperor enquires_

_please answer, four gods..._

_God of lightning and wind, I ask you_

_answer my inquiry through this compass, _

_god of lightning bring forth to us_

_your words immediately!_

With the last command, the 'compass' finished its formation on the ground, and it glowed brightly against the shadows of the trees. All around Touya, magic seemed to surround the circle that had been cast while little glowing beads floated about. Li opened his eyes, looking at the cardcaptor while his sword glowed. "There now, ask."

"You know, you could have told me you wanted to do this," Touya glared, crossing his arms. Li shrugged nonchalantly, "You would have stopped me". Probably, Touya thought, but he wouldn't let the other know. After several seconds, Touya looked away, blushing slightly, "I don't know what to ask."

"Huh?" Syaoran asked, his eyes wide by the unexpected admission. He cocked his head slightly, considering what to do. "Fine, let's see what the divination can tell us." Lowering his sword, the young man started walking around Touya, watching intently everything that surrounded him. Once he gave one complete cycle around the magic circle, and once in front of the other he began.

"All these energy beads around, they represent your universe. That which surrounds you, and is important to you. This star over here," he pointed one near the boy's head with his sword, "is the biggest one, your sun," Syaoran closed his eyes, and continued, "your father, and your mother," he now moved the sword to a nearby planet. "They are worried about you, but they would worry even if you weren't in danger. Especially your mother. She knows something, or she will know something, important. Your father knows something too, but he is just biding his time."

Touya was sweating, he couldn't obviate so easily that there was a sword being swung near his head by someone who wasn't even looking at it. He gulped at the swift motion of the sword, as it passed his throat and pointed at a small cluster of glowing beads. 

"Your friends," Li continued, "they are few, but they will get involved in this matter, one way or another. The shrine maiden," he paused at one of the beads, "you'll need to be wary of that one, she is not one of God's favorite daughters. The boy who cries wolf," he pointed at the next one, smirking, "you'll need to be there when he finds out, or things will get out of hand quickly. But you can't tell him yourself."

"Your sister" now Li referred to a bright glowing bead that was nearby the previous 'friend' cluster, by his chest near the heart, "She will keep you on your toes, one single mistake from your part, and she'll find out. You will have to thread very lightly around this particular cluster," he was now referring to several stars and planets that were around his sister's star.

"These stars are not really part of your universe, but they will be sooner, rather than later. And they are powerful," Syaoran frowned at the three stars that were together. "They can be dangerous, by any means you must avoid them getting involved. I can't tell what they would do if they find out."

"Do I know them?"

"Probably. They will become very close, and you will let them, there's no avoiding that."

"They will become my friends?"

Li actually snorted at the question, "That depends on your definition of the word 'friends'."

"I don't find that to be funny," Touya grunted, watching as Li moved his sword again, "You don't know what I know, but at any rate, it seems you'll be more sociable. You'll meet more people, at the very least."

"I don't like the way you said that last part," the boy complained, "you are not telling me something!" The sword that was by his left arm by now, moved swiftly to his chin, "You dare and say that to my face one more time, and I'll make sure you won't forget who you are speaking to." 

"Of course" Touya gulped, and the sword got lowered again. Accusing someone of withholding information during a divination was one of the worst insults in the magical community. Had it been someone else, Touya was sure he would have made an enemy of that person, at the very least. 

Li lowered the weapon slowly, a scowl present in his features. He stopped by the last cluster he had been reading for a few seconds, until he pointed at two beads that were almost at the side of Sakura's, "Keroberos and Yue…they shouldn't appear in the reading."

"Why?"

"Because you can't divine their futures, at least not this way," Syaoran raised his left hand and scratched his head, "There's no reason for them to be there, and so very close to this cluster." 

"You mean my sister and the stars that will become very close?"

"And the others too, unless they directly interfere in your path…or their paths, I can't really tell. In any case, that's one troublesome cluster." Syaoran opened his eyes, and looked at Touya, "How was that?" The boy considered the other's question and what he had been told. "A really basic reading"

"That's what you get if you don't ask something specific. Think about that," the Chinese boy lowered his sword, and switched it to his left hand. He flexed his neck and his right hand for a while. He glanced away for a moment, something probably caught his attention. He was interrupted by Touya, "That can wait until I'm out of the barrier, don't you think?"

Syaoran was about to make a witty remark, when he turned and saw that indeed, the boy was still within his family's magic circle. "Don't tell me you forgot to dispellit?" Touya smirked at the shocked look on the other's face. "I don't have to…"

"Then…?"

"Then it means I'm missing something. But that can't be, because I can't see anything else," he paused, considering what to do. After a long pause, Syaoran looked at the boy and commanded, "Don't move."

Of course, being told what to do was not something Touya appreciated, nor cared for, and true to his character, he was about to retort, when the senior raised his sword, and it started glowing again. Li swiped the sword in a horizontal slash, so very near his chest. He was concentrating, again, with his eyes closed, _again_, and doing very dangerous thrusts so close to him, that he could feel the slash in the air as the sword passed him every single time. 

Li started moving his sword faster, circling the barrier and swiping at nothing. The glowing beads of magic that surrounded Touya weren't affected by this movements until Syaoran came to a sudden stop in one of them that was near the other's right eye. Touya sighed in relief, thankful that the sword had stopped already. 

Ever so careful, Touya watched from the corner of his eye, as the tip of the sword moved around the globe of energy, With a small cut, the small energy ball exploded, and all the others around disappeared immediately. 

"What was that?" the boy finally found his voice, watching as Li took back the dangerous weapon. He turned around to face the Chinese boy with an uneasy frown in his forehead. The other just shook his head, "I couldn't see anything more, because there was nothing else to see."

"But you just said…!"

"I know," Syaoran raked a hand through his hair, now tangled by his previous swift motions. "Like all divinations, this spell is bound by the question it was made for. But the spell in itself can say much more than the answer to the caster. So, it usually has a counter side that negates one to see much more."

"Since there was no immediate question, you were able to find the counter" Touya recalled, understanding dawning on him. "_One_of the counters only, there were much more."

"I've seen it happen a couple of times before, but it's highly unusual. The answers they hold are more complicated than the others." Li raised slowly his sword back to the last spot. He didn't know how to approach the situation without making it sound...well, _bad._

"Tell me, then," Touya was unfazed by Li's apparent indecision. The sword seemed to stop by his ear. It actually didn't seem, it _did_stop. It couldn't move further. 

"See this?" Li said as a _somethin g_appeared beside the boy. Touya couldn't quite tell what it was; it looked like a light to him. He nodded, and Li continued, "it looks like a line, in case you are wondering."

A line of light that was surrounding him, apparently. A line that traveled side by side to him, all around, but never touched him. The sun was high in the sky, and he wondered how he could _see_ such a thing, at broad daylight. 

"In any case, if I move my sword over here," Li said, moving the sword away, " you can't see it anymore. You really can't see it, except when I place my sword in a certain spot, like the one near your ear. There are probably more spots where it can be seen, though." Li continued to contour Touya with his sword, until the light shone again. He found three different places all along the contour, where the line would appear. 

"Three spots where it shines more brightly, three places where the line shows itself. Three times it's happened."

"Happened?"

"This line runs parallel to you. It can't be seen, unless you've met the line's path. It has been there three times already; you have walked through this path three times by now."

"A path? Destiny you mean." He was starting to feel odd, somehow, Li's words were starting to affect him.

"No, your Destiny can't be defined in a line, and it wouldn't show on a divination." Syaoran was certainly puzzled; he'd never seen something like this before. "The line seems to be something you are bound to do, something you will follow, eventually."

"If it's something I'm bound to do, then it can't be bad." Touya said, hoping to ease that queasy feeling inside of him. 

"I wouldn't say that. It's up to you, whether you will follow this line or not, but if you ask me, a man should follow his own path in life, the way he wishes to do so. There's something I do know: this line, it's not natural. It's not yours." 

As he said that, the magical circle below Touya glowed brightly before disappearing. The boy relaxed his back, he hadn't been aware it was tensed up. Li turned his sword back into his amulet, walking back towards the house, "There's nothing more than I can tell you. Oh, and there's the matter of my payment." 

"Of course", Touya muttered, his previously forgotten anger rushing back to him, "what's it going to be?" Li didn't think much of it, he probably had decided what he wanted before coming over, "The next card you capture, of course."

Touya was actually thrown off by the request. Not the request on itself, but the fact that the divination was _that_strong. Surely the Chinese boy hadn't said something that relevant to him? But if there was something Touya was sure of, was that the other wouldn't ask for such a thing if it hadn't been worth it. He certainly doubted Li wanted _that _kind of karma on his back. 

"Fine, but no more surprises like this." He muttered darkly, walking past Li, into the house. 

"Believe me, I don't want to ever do that again. Which reminds me, you need to learn martial arts. You won't last long with the cards loose and no knowledge whatsoever of what combat really means."

Touya bit his tongue, he hadn't given fighting too much of a thought. "I'll start taking some karate classes, then."

"What you need is a crash course on several techniques. It takes years to actually be good at fighting. You barely made it back there at the mall, on instinct mostly, and what I believe it to be your own athlete agility. You can only be so lucky." Li looked back and forth, seemingly looking for something as he was directed to back to the entrance of the house. 

"Well, then I'll pay a tutor to teach me the things I need to know quickly." Touya wanted to get Li out of his house as soon as possible, but to his dismay, the other seemed to be _wanting_to talk.

"Ah, but how will they know what you _really _need to know?" 

"I'll just ask Yue to teach me, happy now?" Touya was now certain Li was purposely trying to bother him, or at least, making time. What else could he want?

"He won't help, remember?" Syaoran smirked, remembering the Guardian's reluctance to do so. 

It sounded to him as if Li was actually gloating about his predicament, "Then I'll find someone else!"

"Whatever", Li shrugged, walking towards the door, "See you later, kid."

He chose the best time to finally get out, and not get sure retaliation for that last insult. Touya breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself. Piano was out of the question now, he hated playing when he was angry, it usually made him even more frustrated. He was sure there was more than one electronic appliance that needed fixing in his home – that sun guardian couldn't keep his paws to himself – but he just couldn't bring himself to care. Maybe some other time.

An idea occurred to him then. Looking for his phone in the living room, he quickly dialed a number by memory, "Takashi, are you home? Great, I'll meet you there, I'm taking this new shooter game I bought on friday...Yes, the really bloody one, No, I don't care what that jackass told you, he's not the captain. Of course, I'm sure... will you stop with the coconuts already? Thank you. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Hanging up, Touya took his bag with everything he needed. He left a note in the kitchen board of where he was going to be, and without bothering the sun guardian, headed out. 

Syaoran left that house even more confused than how he had entered. He had seen Kero watching them, hidden in a tree, and hoped he would want to talk afterwards. He waited for as long as he could, but the sun guardian never approached him. 

The pieces of this puzzle he knew where just too complicated to figure out. The more he thought about it, the less it all made sense. There wasn't a pattern, not a thing that could be related to one another. He wasn't even sure of the certainty of the things he did know. There was only one thing he was sure of: that boy had been cursed.

**Volume 1: End**

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_A/N: Long notes on Anniversary Date! One year!  
_

_First off, I want to thank **Sakura Sango** for agreeing to be my beta reader. She helped me a lot, and fast, considering I sent her this chapter to beta it on monday. I requested it soon, so I could post on Anniversary Date. Thank you!_

_Second, it's been a whole year since I started this. More than fifty pages as I write this, without author notes, and a whole timeline since the Cardmistress' Time, outlined and planed. This is a huge project for me, and not only do I intend on finishing this story, but I also intend on writing the prequel to this...eventually. I know this story is complicated to follow, I thank you all for reading it, and the patience you all have. Next volume will be...very funny, indeed.  
_

_Third, I would like to direct you to my livejournal, link at profile. I created it with the sole purpose of this story and the images I make for it. Character profiles, art, and even a few bits and pieces that don't make the cut at the end of the chapters will be posted there. Of course, I'll be leaving the direct links to the profiles as they are, so you don't have to roam the LJ if you don't feel like it. Minako's profile is up and linked, and Touya's WIP can be seen at LJs image gallery. He'll probably be done by the next update, since I have no photoshop to finish it._

_Once again, thank you all! Oh, and there's one small gift for you all: under my stories, there's a small oneshot called **Gifts and Curses**, posted for Toya's BDay, which shines a small light of what happened in the time before. Enjoy!_

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